Safe Water
Water flows through all of our land. To keep it plentiful and safe for drinking, swimming and fishing, we need clean air, expansive forests, responsible farms, wooded stream banks, and communities and individuals who make choices to avoid pollution.
(Virginia) Attend one of the Clean Water Breakfasts around the state to learn more about the pollution diet "Bay TMDL" being proposed by the EPA and Virginia's clean up plan for rivers and streams that drain into the Bay.
The County is considering adopting an ordinance that would regulate the removal of existing trees and shrubs and discourage building structures within the 100ft closest to perennial streams.
As part of a plan to increase water quality across the state of Virginia, DCR and DEQ seek public participation at public meetings beginning May 4 for the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan for Browns, Craig, and Marsh Runs.
Read more about a program that offers priority ranking for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands that include pollinator-friendly wildflowers & shrubs in the USDA's August 2, 2010 press release.
Learn more about the history, ecology, and beauty of the Shenandoah by watching "Shenandoah: Voices of the River", a 52-minute documentary produced by the Downstream Project.
As part of a multiyear project to protect and restore water quality in the Goose Creek watershed in Fauquier and Loudoun Counties, PEC recently sponsored a workshop in Leesburg on how to design building sites in ways that are good for water quality.
Farmers who establish riparian buffers and install livestock-exclusion fencing along the Upper Hazel River Watershed may be eligible for to receive full reimbursement. Read more about the program and find out if you qualify.
New incentives make it free for farmers to fence livestock away from streams--helping to restore water quality in the Hazel, Hughes, Rush, and Thornton Rivers.
Limestone rock is common in the eastern United States. Human activities and new development can accelerate the natural pace of limestone erosion--causing sinkholes, threatening buildings and roads, and contaminating groundwater.
The Town of Purcellville has donated an easement on 1,271 acres--which includes three springs and a significant portion of a watershed above Purcellville's reservoir. This property is the largest in Loudoun to be protected by a conservation easement.
Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality recently issued a statewide water quality report. Impaired area in rivers and streams increased from 9,002 miles in 2006 to 10,604 miles in 2008.
Load reduction goals for developed lands will not be met, as new development is increasing loads faster than restoration efforts can reduce them.
Watch the 2009 documentary "Poisoned Waters" by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hedrick Smith. The documentary details the perilous condition of waterways like the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound, and addresses new sources of contamination
Wetlands play an essential role in maintaining clean, healthy waterways, reducing the risk of floods and droughts, and providing rich habitat for animals and plants.
Learn the important role of riparian buffers and how they provide benefits to landowners and the environment.
Streams and rivers are likely to be healthy when at least 91% of the ground in their watershed remains permeable, allowing soil and plants to filter precipitation.
PEC does extensive work assessing, monitoring, and protecting the Piedmont's watersheds.
Learn about the uranium mining process, the harmful consequences associated with mining, and what you can do to prevent the moratorium from being lifted.
