Dear Friend,

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be holding a community meeting to kick off the development of a water quality study (also known as a Total Maximum Daily Load or TMDL) of Back Creek, Eidson Creek, and Jennings Branch in Augusta County this Tuesday, May 11 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Buffalo Gap High School (1800 Buffalo Gap Hwy, Swoope).

These streams were recently placed on Virginia’s impaired waters list, when monitoring of aquatic insects by DEQ showed that something was “bugging the bugs.” These aquatic insects act as a barometer of stream health, warning us of potential pollutants that may be entering our waterways. This meeting will serve as an opportunity for local residents to learn about the condition of the streams, share information about the area, and become involved in the process of local water quality improvement.

The water quality study to be developed will identify likely pollutant(s) that are negatively impacting stream health and will recommend reductions in these pollutant(s) to meet a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for these impaired waterways. A TMDL is the total amount of a pollutant a water body can contain and still meet water quality standards. Through this process, Virginia agencies will partner with interested local stakeholders to identify pollutant sources in the watersheds, and the reductions needed from these sources to meet the TMDL. Landowner input and engagement in this process is critical to its success. Please contact Nesha McRae with any questions about this effort (Nesha.mcrae@deq.virginia.gov).

Please consider attending and giving your input as concerned community members. 

Thank you for helping us protect the Middle River watershed!