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New Year Greetings from Board Chair, Dave Mangun
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The Friends of the Middle River was started in
2010 by a group of citizens who had been influenced and inspired by a
conference in 2009, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ). The organizers of FOMR felt that the community of
residents who were interested in the welfare of the Middle River needed a
collective voice. Since 2010, FOMR has sponsored
activities to heighten awareness of the Middle River's recreation opportunities
as well as its water quality challenges.
Altogether, 2018 was a good year for FOMR. I will borrow a line
from A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times; it was the worst
of times” to describe this year. While this may seem a bit dramatic, we
definitely experienced highs and lows this season. We continued our monitoring
efforts, albeit on a reduced schedule, sponsored three Paddle America Club Middle
River Float Trips, and continued our River cleanup efforts. But, on the
downside, we had to cancel our Splash 'n Dash Canoe/Kayak Race as well as
several additional float trips. We were able to hold our first ever full moon
float trip - an unqualified success! Our annual river cleanup was very
successful, with over 60 people plying the river to remove debris and maintain
access sites, despite the near record rainfall that produced challenging
conditions, to say the least.
We completed our eighth year of benthic monitoring but had to cancel
the autumn session due to high water. Our monthly E. coli monitoring in
the Upper Middle River area has entered its fourth year and continues to run
smoothly. We initiated a Salt Watch Program to monitor salt runoff from area
roads. We are maintaining a dedicated access site at the bridge over the Middle
River in Verona, thanks to a lease agreement with the landowner. We have
leveraged this access location with several others to institute a River Access
Program (RAP) for members. By year’s end we had 86 individuals sign up for the
RAP. And finally, the Film Contest, that was created for local high
school students in 2017, was won by the Fort Defiance High School Envirothon
Team.
Kate Guenther has rounded out her first year
as our Watershed Administrator. She has been most welcome and is a
valuable asset, allowing us to branch out in new ways, including social media,
while freeing up the remainder of the board for non-administrative tasks.
We look forward to many exciting events in 2019,
where we will again participate at Earth Day Staunton and at Kites &
Critters. Benthic Monitoring will resume in April.
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Plan to join us
for a float down the Middle River this summer and/or for our annual Middle River
Cleanup later this summer. Don't forget to get your raffle tickets for the new
kayak which will be given away at our Friends Fest barbecue picnic! Make
this the year that you resolve to "Get on the River!"
We hope you will join us to help make 2019 the
best year yet for FOMR. We give many thanks for our corps of donors and volunteers
- the engines that drive the FOMR train. We invite you to join them in 2019 to help provide
the workforce and financial support necessary to keep FOMR strong.
Dave Mangun, FOMR Board Chairman
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Eleven FOMR Salt Watch volunteers are out this winter taking chloride readings to determine if the road salt getting into Middle River is at a level that would cause a problem for aquatic life. Big metropolitan areas like northern Virginia have a lot more roads and use a lot more salt than we do here. Look for our results to come out later this year. Meanwhile, read the November 2018 article FOMR volunteer Bruce Dorries wrote in the Staunton News Leader HERE. |
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| Volunteer Spotlight
FOMR is lucky to have a number
of high school students in our E. coli monitoring volunteer pool!
Students have helped for several years since the start of the program in
2015.
How
it works:11 river samples are collected, the samples are delivered to
the Shenandoah Valley Governor's School (SVGS) where students Louisa Esteban (photo above)and Emma Evans process the samples, incubate them, then count the bacteria colonies
that grow during the incubation.
The results are submitted to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Similarly,
an environmental science class at Riverheads High School (RHS) collects and
processes E. coli samples for 3 additional sites.
Louisa
Esteban's many accomplishments were recently highlighted in an article
by the Staunton News Leader. Louisa does her E. coli work through SVGS
but is a student of Fort Defiance High School.Read more HERE.
And also, here's a shout out of thanks to Jo-el Nelson (SVGS) and Courtney Hallacher (RHS), both FOMR members and teachers who supervise the students!
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| River Access Improvement
It is now officially easier to put-in and take-out your river craft from one of our River Access Program's access sites. A group of 9 volunteers worked last fall to put in steps and to stablize the bank down to the river's edge. Watch the video HERE.
To sign up for the River Access Program to receive permits and instructions on how to contact participating landowners in our program-- which is currently free-- email us at info@friendsofthemiddleriver.org and give us your name, address, phone and email and we will contact you.
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| FOMR Needs Project and Committee Leaders
We need you this year! It takes a village to tend a river! Contact us today to find out more about any of the following volunteer positions we are seeking help with for 2019: - Education Coordinator for Earth Day Staunton and Kites & Critters
- Staffing for float trips
- Coordinator for Splash 'n Dash Canoe/Kayak Race
- River Clean-Up Coordinator
- Event table staffing (such as at Blues and Brews)
- Fundraising Committee or Chair position
- Outreach and Media Outreach Committee or Chair position
Email Kate at info@friendsofthemiddleriver.org or call 540-609-8267 today!
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| Volunteer Spotlight
A
heartfelt thank you to Joe Moore for his service on our Board of Directors. Joe is leaving the Board, but will continue as an active FOMR volunteer. You may know him from stream cleanups, riparian buffer maintenance work, or from Altenergy!
Joe is
also a property owner on Middle River for one of our River Access Program sites. Joe exercises his
environmental conservation values in all aspects of his life. Thank you,
Joe! |
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| Canoe Buying Tips: Choosing the Best Material
Read Paddling Magazine's discussion of material choice for canoes: wood, aluminum, composite, plastic or soft shell? Find out the pros and cons HERE! |
| FOMR is grateful to all our financial sponsors.
Please support our business sponsors when you can. By mentioning to them that you are glad they support local causes that make our community strong, you are helping FOMR to deepen our connection with our sponsors! |
| Business Sponsors
ACE Hardware, Verona
Altenergy, Inc. Appomattox River Company Augusta Aluminum Gutterworks Augusta Bird Club Black Swan Books and Music
The Blacksmith Shop, Inc. Conservation Services, Inc. Cranberry's Grocery and Eatery Katherine Crow CRPC, CLTC Private Wealth Advisor Seth Liskey, CFP, Edward Jones Mike Lund Food & Lundch MidValley Press Modern Boy Woodshop Mossy Creek Fly Fishing Shop Peason Financial Group. Inc. Riverbend Bluff Enterprises Shenandoah Valley Campground Stony Hill Farm Valley Trust Insurance Group Virginia Eagle Distributing
Company Whitescarver Natural Resources Management Wilderness Adventure
Zach's Country Store |
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| Individual and Family Sponsors
Karen Andersen Mark Battin Laurie Berman Jack Bookhultz Paul and Ruth Bugas Rick Chittum Pete and Faye Cooper Bill Cranor
Carolyn Ford and Lewis Moore David and Cindy Fuller Bruce and Olimpia Dorries
Victoria and Rod Granberry Ken Hearst and Kate Guenther Dave and Jan Mangun Joe and Liz McCue Whit and Jane Morriss Joe Thompson and Kathy Belcher Bobby Whitescarver and Jeanne Hoffman
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| Mark Your Calendars
February 12 Mussels in South River
March
April 28 Wild and Scenic Film Festival, 6:30 pm, Staunton, Wild Virginia
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FOMR is a Paddle America Club member
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| Read more about Friends of the Middle River at our website HERE.
And follow us on Facebook!
P.O. Box 131, Verona VA, 24482
FOMR is a 501(c)(3) organization. |
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