The Rivanna Rambler
06/19/2008, 4/24/2008, 2/21/2008
BY LESLIE MIDDLETON
Learn about some StreamWatch activities and become an informed citizen of your watershed with “The Rivanna Rambler.” Read transcripts or listen to past shows: Love Them Bugs, The Right River Shoes for the Job, Winter Stoneflies Equal Good Water.
The unusual suspects
Excerpt from C-VILLE Issue #19.25
06/19/2007 – 06/25/2007
BY C-VILLE WEEKLY WRITERS
John Murphy’s big concern is sediment. “When the landscape around a river or stream is disturbed, the stream morphology changes,” Murphy explains while knee-deep in the Doyles River, just outside White Hall. “An affected river becomes less efficient at moving sediment, and more sediment in the water changes the biological makeup of the river.” Moments later, as if to illustrate his point, he plunges his hand into the river and plucks out a dead fish. “Madtom,” he says.
Let it Flow
After nearly three centuries of human progress dirtied the Rivanna, local groups are trying to clean up Jefferson’s river
BY JAYSON WHITEHEAD
C’Ville Issue 05/08/2007 – 05/14/2007
Report: Population density affects Rivanna watershed
By Jeremy Borden / Daily Progress staff writer
October 13, 2006
The aquatic life in about half the streams in the Rivanna basin is impaired and the cause is strongly linked to population density around the streams, according to a study to be released today.
Aquatic quality linked to land use
By JULIE STAVITSKI / Daily Progress staff writer
Originally published: April 15, 2005
Evidence of a high correlation between intensive land use and poor stream health has been presented by a local ecological monitoring group.
StreamWatch, a local stream monitoring and data collection program, published the results of a two-year study that declares seven of nine streams surveyed in Albemarle County in poor or very poor condition. All nine are in development areas.
Rivanna streams in fair health
By JULIE STAVITSKI / Daily Progress staff writer
Originally published: October 24, 2004
The Rivanna basin stream network is in fair health, though streams close to Charlottesville’s urban center are severely deteriorated, according to a report released by a local ecological monitoring program.
Local group monitors streams, Huge study examines watershed
By DAVID DADURKA / Daily Progress staff writer
Originally published: September 6, 2003
Last year’s drought drastically sapped water from the ponds on Ned Foss’ farm in White Hall.
“It brought home very clearly how fragile the water supply is,” Foss said of the barren shorelines he observed during one of the worst droughts in a century.
Water study fills a need
Originally published: September 9, 2003, The Daily Progress
Before there was ever such a thing as the professional scientist, it was the curious amateur who expanded the boundary of knowledge — finding planets, propounding laws of physics, cataloging species.