Class presentation

1. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
SUMMARY
 Rapidan river is the largest tributary
of the 195 mile Rappahannock River
 Drains the eastern portion of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah
National Park to the Chesapeake
bay.
 EPA classification as “impaired”

2. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
SUMMARY
Agricultural practices, human
development (residential, commercial,
infrastructural) and climate change has
affected the quality and quantity of the
river water over the years

3. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
WATER ISSUES
UTILITY
ABSTRACTION
AND DISCHARGE
TOWN OF
GORDONSVILL
E
ORANGE
TOWN
LOCUST
GROVE
VA withdrawals, 2012

4. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
WATER ISSUES
Water Quality in privately
owned wells, springs and
cisterns
Presence of:
Total coliform bacteria
Sodium
manganese
Low PH (Acidic)
SOURCE OF DATA: VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION, 2010. WWW.EXT.VT.EDU

5. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
WATER ISSUES
OTHER NON POINT SOURCES OF
POLLUTION
Table from
VDEQ,2007

6. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
DISCHARGE POINT SOURCES ALLOWED
UNDER VPDES (PERMITS REQUIRED)
 RAPIDAN SERVICE AUTHORITY
 TOWN OF GORDONSVILLE
 OTHERS
Figure from VDEQ, 2007

7. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
CURRENT DISCHARGE
AND WATER QUALITY
NETWORK
ORGANIZATIONS
 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE- STREAM
GAUGES
 VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT-STREAM AND RAIN
GAUGES, INFLOWS
 VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (EPA
SHARING)-WATER QUALITY SAMPLING
 UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL
SURVEYS-STREAM
 PRIVATE AND NON PROFIT DATA
COLLECTION
MAP

8. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
RAPIDAN FLOOD RISK
CAUSE OF BANK EROSION AND LANDSCAPE DEGRADATION-
TURBIDITY AND SEDIMENTATION
• HURRICANE AGNES JUNE 1972. PRECIPITATION WAS 6 INCHES
A DAY. JAMES RIVER VIRGINIA CRESTED 36.5 FEET, HIGHEST IN
200 YEAR (VDEM, 2014). DAMAGE: 1400 HOMES; ROADS,
BRIDGES DESTROYED; 13 PEOPLE KILLED; COST OF DAMAGE
AMOUNTED TO $325 MILLION.
• DEVASTATING FLOODING OF 1977 AFFECTED KENTUCKY,
VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
(NWS) INITIATED NATIONAL FLASH FLOOD DEVELOPMENT IN
1978, INFLOWS DEVELOPED FROM THIS AS JOINT EFFORT
WITH STATES.
• PROTOTYPE STARTED 1980, 12 COUNTIES ON THE
APPALACHIAN, SUSCEPTIBILITY TO FLOODING (VDEM, 2014).
• 1985, CONGRESS APPROVED NWS INFLOWS FUNDING;
EXPAND TO COVER BEYOND INITIAL 7 STATES. LINKED AND
INTEGRATED DATA AND INFORMATION THROUGH 250
COMPUTERS; 1500 SENSORS; 12 STATES AND 120 COUNTIES.
Rapidan
River bank
erosion at
Route 3

9. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
2010 NonPoint Source (NPS) Assessment Prioritization
Data Query Results-Rapidan River Watershed, HU RA37
NPS Impaired Waters Rankings Based on Percentage of Existing Waters by Type
Rank Definitions:
A - Very High Percentage Impaired
B - High Percentage Impaired
C - Moderate Percentage Impaired (Rapidan River Watershed)
D - Low Percentage Impaired
E - No Impairments
blank - No Rivers or Lakes/Reservoirs
Export to Comma Delimited File
Virginia
Hydrologic
Unit
Miles of
Impaired
Rivers
Acres of
Impaired
Lakes
% of River
Miles
Impaired
% of Lake
Acres
Impaired
IMP
River
Rank
IMP
Lake
Rank
RA37 7.91 0.00 24.19 0.00 C E
Rapidan River http://dswcapps.dcr.virginia.gov/htdocs/progs/npsimpbio10_results.aspx
Historic floods Recent floods
(1) 30.40 ft on 06/28/1995
(2) 30.30 ft on 10/16/1942
(3) 29.53 ft on 06/22/1972
(4) 28.03 ft on 04/26/1937
(5) 27.49 ft on 09/07/1996
(1) 17.16 ft on 05/17/2014
(2) 14.75 ft on 05/01/2014
(3) 16.51 ft on 06/10/2013
(4) 14.35 ft on 05/08/2013
(5) 13.49 ft on 01/31/2013
NOAA:
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lwx&gage=
clpv2

10. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
Snapshot sampling of
watershed
Protocol 9: Aquatic chemistry

11. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
Rapidan River Watershed
assessment

12. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
Test Factor Data Result Rank Condition
Dissolved Oxygen 4ppm at 6o C <50% saturation (31%) 1 Poor
BOD 8ppm 4ppm 3 Good
Coliform Bacteria Positive Positive 1 Poor
pH 8 8 3 Good
Temperature 60 C N/A N/A N/A
Nitrate 5ppm 5ppm 2 Fair
Phosphate 1ppm 1ppm 4 Excellent
Turbidity 40JTU 40JTU 3 Good

13. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
Discussions
 The state of the watershed is determined by the human and natural
disturbances in space and time. Rapidan River Watershed (RRW) has
had history floods particularly during storms and hurricanes. The
most immediate danger to human life, infrastructure, aquatic life and
the ecosystems is therefore FLOODING.
 More real-time stream and rainfall gauges would help mitigate the
imminent danger to human life. The Army Corp of Engineers has
plans (2015) to install 7 real-time gauges to add to the 8 already in
existence in the Upper and Middle Rapahhanock River.
 Water quality gauges will be added in RRW in following stream:
Marsh Run, Blue Run, Rapidan River (2), Unnamed tributary, and
Cedar Run.
 Non point pollution could be associated with the intensive
agricultural activities in RRW, human settlement, natural
disturbances and climate change. In some parts of the Rapidan River,
the riparian buffer is thin or lacking. Livestock foraging is extensive
within the flood zones.
 Point source pollution could originate from permitted private or
utility water suppliers or consumers particularly in irrigation
agriculture (horticultural production).
 Privately owned water supplies (wells, cisterns, spring) have unique
water quality issues mainly related to the geology and sanitation.
Awareness creation is being conducted Virginia Cooperative
Extension of VT.
 Shady areas, enough sun, clear water, fast riffle, adequate dissolved
oxygen, and clean stream bed would be supportive of aquatic life.
Good BOD from snapshot sampling supports this assertion as the
data from VDEQ sampling.
 Nutrient concern is still an issue in the RRW as indicated by the EPA
TMDL Implementation Plan and the sampling in the lower RRW done
by the author.
Watershed Organizations such as Friends of the Rappahannock have programs to
address issues of litter removal and recycling, storm drain labeling initiative, roof
water harvesting, community clean-ups installation of green infrastructure and
more.

14. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
CONCLUSIONS
 The snapshot water quality measurements indicated that the Rapidan River had adequate dissolved
oxygen to support aquatic life. Water odors and surface oils were generally lacking. Sediments deposits
was characterized as silt or suspended sediments. This would reduce in base flow period. Substrate size
was generally supportive of invertebrates with substantial proportions of riffle substrate consisting of
boulder, cobble, and gravel.
 Mix of sunny areas and shade stretches is also supportive of many invertebrate species.
 Nitrate concentration could be from agricultural activities prevalent in RRW. This sampling was done
during low agricultural activity season (Late Fall). Higher levels of nutrient might could be expected during
active seasons.
 From documented data and information and the snapshot sampling done, the author contends that the
state of the RRW is FAIR. EPA considers it “Impaired” under the TMDL WIP.

15. RAPIDAN RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
Reference
EPA, 2014. Watershed assessment, tracking and environmental results. Web-based EPA data o water
quality. http://ofmpub.epa.gov/tmdl_waters10/attains_waterbody.control?p_au_id=VAN-
E13R_RAP02A06&p_state=VA&p_cycle=2006
USACE, 2013. Middle and Upper Rappahannock River Basin, Virginia. Rainfall, Stream and Water Quality
Gauging Analysis.
http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/Portals/31/docs/business/FPMS/PASDocuments/App_A_4a.pdf
Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2010. Evaluation of household water quality in Madison and Orange
Counties, Virginia. www.ext.vt.edu
Virginia Water Quality Assessment 305(b) Report, 2010 Nonpoint source Assessment, Prioritization and
Activities.http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/Water/StormwaterManagement/NPSChapt4.1.pdf
VDEQ, 2013. Status of Virginia’s water resources. A report on Virginia’s water resources management
activities. www.vdeq.gov
VDEQ, 2007. Upper Rappahannock River Basin bacteria TMDL development. Technical Advisory
Committees. http://www.rrregion.org/pdf/TMDLs/2008/Rappahannock_TAC_Mtg1_ECI.pdf