The Rivanna River Basin Commission (RRBC) announces that it will be reducing its activities, staff, and operations pending full commission approval at its June 10, 2013, meeting. The RRBC’s Executive Committee met on May 13, 2013, to review current programs and staffing and has determined that the current funding model is not sustainable in the present fiscal climate.
Created in 2004 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly and with full-time professional staff since 2009, RRBC has coordinated numerous projects in the Rivanna watershed including a comprehensive, EPA-funded stormwater management grant that provided funding for each RRBC locality for stormwater management projects and technical studies.
Moss, who has served on the RRBC as an elected official from 2007 to 2010 and as the appointed citizen from Fluvanna County since mid-2011, said, “Even though regional, and specifically watershed-based, planning should result in more cost-effective strategies for all the jurisdictions, it becomes particularly challenging during times of economic stress.”
For the remainder of 2013, the commission will continue to meet as it undertakes a review of its accomplishments and effectiveness in a region that has multiple regional agencies and two other Rivanna-focused groups. … read more
by admin on March 20, 2013
On Thursday, March 21 at the monthly Rivanna Conservation Society’s brown bag lunch series, you can find out more about just how safe it is to swim and recreate in and on the Rivanna River. There are approximately 125 miles of streams in the Rivanna watershed that are deemed to be impaired (do not meet water quality standards) because they contain excessive bacteria.
Where does this bacteria come from? The answer is: the wastes of warm-blooded animals, like livestock, horses, pets, wildlife, and — yes — humans. It comes from pet waste that is washed in to our streams from our streets and yards, carried by stormwater (rainfall) runoff. In some cases, in comes from our own wastes not being properly treated: leaking septic systems convey wastes through groundwater to streams and overflowing septic systems do the same. The bacteria can come from the excrement of livestock and horses that washes into waterways. Some impairments have been found to be caused, in part, by high populations of wildlife.
What are we doing about this here in the Rivanna watershed? Come to the brown bag lunch on Thursday to find out more from the three groups whose missions focus on the Rivanna River and its watershed: StreamWatch, the Rivanna Conservation Society, and the Rivanna River Basin Commission.
When: Thursday, March 21, 12 noon – 1 PM
Where: Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (Charlottesville)
201 E. Market Street
Questions: Email: exec@rivannariver.org or
Call 434 97 RIVER (434 977 4837)
by admin on January 16, 2013
Over 400 students, faculty, and advisers are participating in the second annual all-school design charette at the University of Virginia focused on re-imagining the corridor along the Rivanna River. They are being guided by faculty and a renowned Dutch landscape architect, Adriaan Geuze, from West 8.
The focal area of the design work is the corridor in Charlottesville centered on the 3-mile stretch between Darden Towe Park and Free Bridge (Route 250) and the Woolen Mills neighborhood and Moores Creek where it joins the Rivanna River. You can read more about the project here and a short news article about the project here. The design charette will inspire future Rivanna River Corridor planning to be undertaken by the City of Charlottesville and the Albemarle County, which share the Rivanna as a political boundary.
The public is invited to view the results and VOTE on the best project on SUNDAY, January 19, 2013, at Key Recreation Center, downtown Charlottesville, from 2 – 4 PM. Voting will take place between 2 PM – 3:30 PM.
RRBC’s Executive Director, Leslie Middleton, was part of a group presentation at the kick-off event at UVa on Monday, January 14, 2013. Middleton stressed the importance of protecting the river’s riparian buffers along this stretch of the river and challenged the student to consider how access to the river through their designs might inspire better river and watershed protection throughout the watershed.
by admin on December 31, 2012
RRBC underwent its first fiscal audit for FY12 (July 2011 – June 2012) in October under Robinson, Farmer Cox Associates, a local firm experienced in auditing public entities. The Commission’s 2012 financial reports were found to be in good order, and there were no management recommendations. The report and letters are now posted on RRBC’s website HERE.
Why is this news? As an entity of local government, the Rivanna River Basin Commission is responsible for managing the public and private funds it has received in a transparent fashion using best financial management practices.
Just as the 2012 Rivanna Watershed Snapshot provides an overview of existing conditions in the Rivanna watershed, the financial report provides an overview of the financial management of the Commission.
With this solid fiscal audit in hand, RRBC looks to the new calendar year of 2013 to secure adequate public and private funding to continue in its advisory role to local, regional, and federal governments and agencies to ensure protection, conservation and restoration of the Rivanna River and its watershed.
by admin on September 24, 2012
We’d like to spread the word that StreamWatch, one of RRBC’s partners in the Moores Creek Bacterial Implementation Project, has been sampling for evidence of bacteria contamination at four sites in the Moores Creek watershed in Charlottesville and Albemarle since July 2012. In addition, StreamWatch is also sampling six other sites in the upper watershed and along the main stem of the Rivanna River. This sampling is in addition to regular sampling along the main stem and in Moores Creek being performed by VA Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ).
Bacteria levels are one indicator used to determine if water is safe for swimming or other recreation. Water samples are tested for the presence of fecal bacteria, which are bacteria found in the intestines and fecal matter of mammals. High counts of bacteria in a stream indicate that there is an elevated risk of illness from pathogenic organisms.
You can now go to the StreamWatch website for a map and table of sites and their monthly bacteria scores. Bacteria scores reflect the number of E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water. The maximum allowable amount of bacteria (specifically Escherichia coli or E. Coli) in a single sample of water is 235 colonies per 100 milliliters. This standard is set by the VA DEQ.
Unlike some other kinds of water quality sampling, each bacteria sample provides an instantaneous snapshot of the presence of E. coli but cannot tell us whether this is normal for the stream at this location. VA DEQ performs monthly or bi-monthly sampling to look for trends, specifically a certain number of exceedances of the allowable threshold.
If a certain sampling site shows high levels one month, but not the next (or vice versa), it is important to know that the sample data only reflects the conditions on that sampling date. But you can determine, but assessing these data over time, whether certain locations are prone to high levels of bacteria.
Unfortunately, the main stem of the Rivanna River and a stretch of Moores Creek have been found by VA DEQ to fail the water quality standard in Virginia for bacteria. Fortunately, RRBC was able to secure funding for partner organizations (Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, StreamWatch, Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission) to help publicize the issues of excessive bacteria and to help fund cost-share dollars for homeowners and landowners for activities that will reduce these unacceptable levels in Moores Creek.
Funding is available to help farmers keep livestock out of streams; to help homeowners repair or replace failing septic systems; and to help pet owners properly dispose of pet waste. Visit the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District website for details. Please spread the word to your friends and neighbors about these resources!