1. 2017 SAVE OUR STREAMS MONITORING REPORT SML WATERSHED

2. WHO ARE CERTIFIED SOS MONITORS AND WHAT DO THEY DO?

3. They are regular SML folks who like to get into the water and find critters…

4. Then they have to count them

5. Some critters are nicer than others

6. Where do they work? Look for the sign!

7. So how did we do last year? Let’s look at the numbers…

8. Summary 2017 SOS Data 12 sites (71%) had acceptable scores (9-12)
17 stream sites monitored for ecological conditions:
12 sites (71%) had acceptable scores (9-12)
compared to 8 sites in 2016
4 sites (24%) had a score of 8 where ecological conditions could not be determined
no change from the previous year
1 site (5%) had an unacceptable scores (0 –7)
a decrease of 3 from the previous year
Acceptable: (score = 9-12)
Blackwater River – Dillon’s Mill
Gills Creek - Liberty Hall, Booker T. Washington National Monument and Windy Gap sites
Foul Ground Creek
Poplar Camp Creek
Grimes Creek
Pigg River – Old Angle Farm
Storey Creek (Ferrum)
Ferrum Mountain Creek
Stoney Creek – Beechwood West
Hickory Creek
Indian Run
Unacceptable (score = 0-7):
Blackwater – Riverbend
Indian Creek – Westlake Golf Course
Gray Zone – cannot be determined: (score = 8):
Magoddee Creek
Jack O’Lantern Creek
Jumping Run Creek
Pigg River – Waid Park
Not Monitored in 2013:
Lynville Creek – to be monitored in 2015 (LeRoy Group)
Pigg River – Cooper’s Mill replaced by Old Angle Farm

9. Gills Creek Area Notes Jack O’Lantern – BOWA Gills Creek – BOWA
In Booker T. Washington National Park
Impacted in by Westlake development
Gills Creek – BOWA
Gills Creek – Liberty Hall
Off Liberty Hall Road and bridge crossing Rt. 122
Gills Creek – North Fork
Windy Gap area off Truman Road

10. Jack O’Lantern – Booker T
Jack O’Lantern – Booker T. Washington National Monument: impacted by development at Westlake site along Rt. 122; started coming back in late 2011;
Gills Creek – Booker T. Washington National Monument: in 2009 – 2010 issues with beaver dams and flooding created problems; most recent score from July 2013 was a 4 (unacceptable) however, the two scores before this were a 9 and 10. Heavy rains during the spring and summer in 2013 along with construction at the bridge going over Gills Creek on Rt. 122 may have some impact.
Gills Creek – Liberty Hall: surrounded by farm land and cows in fields.
Gills Creek – North Fork: Windy Gap area – near Windy Gap Elementary School. Continues to score in the 11 to 12 range.

11. Lower Blackwater Area Notes
Foul Ground Creek
Webster Road near Crafts Church Road, Glade Hill
Poplar Camp Creek
Ayers Road, Glade Hill

12. Foul Ground Creek in Glade Hill enters the Blackwater near the bridge going over Rt. 834 (Brooks Mill Road); surrounded by agricultural lands
Poplar Camp Creek – also in agricultural area but does have fencing to keep cattle out of stream – continues to be acceptable

13. Upper Blackwater Area Notes
Blackwater – Riverbend
End of Riverbend Community off Rt. 220, Rocky Mount
Blackwater – Dillon’s Mill
Dugspur Road, Callaway
Blackwater – Webster Tributary
Bethany Road, Boones Mill
Currently monitor by DEQ
Blackwater – Riverbend in Rocky Mount been subject to significant runoff and high waters over past several years; has had significant flooding and lack of riffles in 2013 – to be monitored in near future
Blackwater – Dillon’s Mill in Callaway showing steady scores since 2011

14. Blackwater – Riverbend in Rocky Mount been subject to significant runoff and high waters over past several years; has had significant flooding and lack of riffles in 2013 – to be monitored in near future
Blackwater – Dillon’s Mill in Callaway showing increasing scores since 2011

15. Hardy Road Area Notes Indian Run Grimes Creek Lynville Creek
Hardy Road – 1 mile up from Booker T. Washington Highway
Grimes Creek
Wooded Acres development
Lynville Creek
North and west of clear cut area on Hardy Road
Not monitored since 2012
Indian Creek
Westlake Golf Course

16. Indian Run: scores in 2013 have been 10 (acceptable) falling to 7 (unacceptable) in July – again most likely a rain issue – back up in 2014
Grimes Creek: in 2013, the score increased to 11 in the spring and back down to 8 (gray zone) in the summer – again most likely due to heavy rains
Lynville Creek: this has not been monitored since 2012 – lost monitoring team; expect LeRoy team to monitor in This was above the clear cut site on Lynville Creek/Hardy Road area
Indian Creek: golf course location may be an issue

17. Boones Mill Area Notes Maggodee Creek Rt. 220 North of town
Maggodee Creek – Boones Mill Road
Near bridge on Boones Mill Road
Not monitored since 2014

18. Maggodee Creek – Rt. 220 is right off the highway north of the town
Maggodee Creek – Boones Mill Road

19. Pigg River Area Notes Pigg River – Waid Park, Rocky Mount
Near parking lot and bridge
Pigg River – Old Angle Farm
Rocky Mount area – not monitored since 2016 due to dam breach
Pigg River – Big Branch --- site no longer available per monitors who dropped out and permission to use site recinded

20. Pigg River – Waid Park shows acceptable scores over past 7 years
Pigg River – Big Branch – lost access to site when monitors dropped out at end of 2014
Pigg River – Cooper’s Mill Road showing increase from unacceptable to acceptable between 2011 and 2013 – site changed to Old Angle Farm in 2014

21. Bedford Side of Lake Area Notes
Stoney Creek
Beechwood West Community
South Fork Hickory Creek
Hickory Creek Winery property
Spring fed
Jumping Run Creek
Goodview Road

23. Ferrum Area Notes Ferrum Mountain Creek Storey Creek Nicholas Creek
Off Wiley Drive – lower Bassett Hall parking lot on Ferrum College Campus
Storey Creek
Across Route 40 from Ferrum College Campus
Nicholas Creek
Route 623 – 80 yds from bridge

25. Stream Monitoring Goals for 2018
Train new monitors
Establish a firm data base for use in monitoring stability of watershed in face of pipeline construction