http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler stories of landscapes, conservation, and people in and beyond the Rivanna Watershed Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:11:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © lmiddleton@embarqmail.com () lmiddleton@embarqmail.com() stories of landscapes, conservation, and people in and beyond the Rivanna Watershed lmiddleton@embarqmail.com No no http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler 144 144 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2009/01/08/118-you-me-and-stormwater/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2009/01/08/118-you-me-and-stormwater/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:00:17 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2009/01/08/118-you-me-and-stormwater/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2009/01/08/118-you-me-and-stormwater/feed/ 0 5:34 January 8, 2009 The City of Charlottesville, along with Albemarle County, UVA, and PVCC, are all submitted renewal applications for the Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) ... January 8, 2009 The City of Charlottesville, along with Albemarle County, UVA, and PVCC, are all submitted renewal applications for the Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) General Permit for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4's).nbsp; The permit describes how these entities will manage stormwater in their jurisdictions, but much of the management really rests on you and me and how we manage the stormwater that we create because of our modern lifestyle. Chilling, cold, welcome, seasonal.nbsp; These words could all describe the precipitation of the last couple of days.nbsp; Cold and chilling, as temperatures hovered below freezing, icing roads and dusting the Blue Ridge white.nbsp; Welcome, and seasonal, since we rely on wintertime precipitation to keeps our rivers and wells flowing, our groundwater replenished, our reservoirs full and to hold off the press of drought. But this water ndash; mostly clean as transits from clouds to earth ndash; becomes something else once it hits our streets, yards, and houses.nbsp; It becomes storm water ndash; and it is hardly benign.nbsp; Rather than infiltrating the soil as it does in the forests, stormwater rushes to creeks and to the Rivanna, carrying litter, oils, pet waste, and dirt, rushes in such volume and velocity that stream banks are continually scoured and the Rivanna runs brown after even a modest rain. Environmental professionals characterize water pollution sources as either "point" or "non-point."nbsp; Point sources are discrete - water from a single point or conveyance, such as the waste treatment plants at Moores Creek, Camelot, Lake Monticello, discharges from which are highly regulated with increasingly stringent controls. Non-point sources are simply the opposite ndash; pollution that enters our streams from a diffuse or general area, such as excess water that travels across agriculture or playing fields transporting pollutants such as excess fertilizer or manure.nbsp; Rainwater that traverses urban parking lots and roads into storm "sewer" systems might be considered non-point because it is a collection of water (and all that is carried with it) fromndash; my yard, my street, my neighbor's yard, the street around the corner. But the Clean Water Act defines this kind of stormwater also as a point source ndash; because it is conveyed through separate storm sewer systems (such as maintained by Charlottesville or Albemarle County in the urban areas) ndash; and through ditches and channels that direct the water, untreated for the most part, before it enters the river. And as a point source, it too is regulated by the Clean Water Act, with permits required by the state of Virginia for urban areas, industrial sites, and construction activities.nbsp; In the second phase of permitting, since 2003, Charlottesville, Albemarle, UVA, and PVCC are defined as operating Municipal Storm Sewer Systems, or MS4s.nbsp; The five-year reapplication process is underway right now ndash; applications in which these entities show how various programs are reducing the discharge of pollutants from areas and facilities under their jurisdiction to the maximum extent practicable. Now, I have read the permit application from the City of Charlottesville, and it includes descriptions of how the City will maintain structural controls, such as curb inlets and retention basins; and how it will maintain public roads (and try to minimize pollutants coming off of them).nbsp; I've read how Parks and Rec. will minimize use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.nbsp; How the City will permit and monitor erosion and sediment control practices on construction sites.nbsp;nbsp; But the bottom line is this:nbsp; much of the pollution that ends up in stormwater results from how we citizens live our day-to-day lives.nbsp; After all, you'd have to keep a fleet of street cleaners busy 24 hours a day to keep most of the street wastes out of the storm sewer system ndas... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Education,,Neighborhood,,Rivanna,River,,Sediment,,Stormwater,,Water,Quality lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/18/116-the-emerald-ash-borer/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/18/116-the-emerald-ash-borer/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:26:49 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/18/116-the-emerald-ash-borer/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/18/116-the-emerald-ash-borer/feed/ 0 5:34 December 18, 2008 Learning to identify trees is the business of the amateur naturalist -- and these days, one that includes learning about and spreading the ... December 18, 2008 Learning to identify trees is the business of the amateur naturalist -- and these days, one that includes learning about and spreading the word about invasive pests that are threatening whole species, such as the Emerald Ash Borer. Last weekend I took a short walk along the scrubby and thinly buffered banks of the Rivanna near Free Bridge with some fellow Master Naturalists.nbsp; We were out to hone our tree identification skills ndash; best done, I've found, after the fall of leaves when one is forced to use the most reliable tools of branching, bark, and leaf scar shape to confirm the ID. Land disturbance and compaction at this site along the river has been pretty much uninterrupted with a succession of fords and bridges dating back to the 1700s ndash; making the area vulnerable to a host of invasive species, such as Siberian elm, callery pear, and Oriental bittersweet.nbsp; But we also found plenty of natives: box elders, sycamores, and green and white ash.nbsp; I've learned over the short time I've practiced my naturalist skills that it is best to focus on one or two species in any given walk, lest I become overwhelmed and loose everything in the resulting confusion.nbsp; On this day, I'd chosen the ash tree, genus Fraxinus, a tree whose wood is strong and straight-grained for use in hardwood flooring, but tough and elastic when used in baseball bats, canoe paddles, and oars.nbsp; Within several hundred yards I met both the green ash, common here in the southeast, and the white ash, at the lower end of its hardiness zone.nbsp; Fraxinus belongs to that small category of trees and shrubs whose branching is opposite, and the mature bark presents interlacing ridges that form a diamond shaped pattern -- both attributes helpful in the identification of a tree commonly planted for shade.nbsp; And there, in the bottom-land along the river, we weren't surprised to see it had taken root, because it thrives in moist soil while tolerating drought well. As I paused to look closely at the pointy terminal bud of the green ash and compare it with the more oblique bud of the white, someone mentioned the Emerald ash borer, a bug that, as it name implies, is up to no good with a tree that fills out the hardwood canopy of our oak-hickory forests here in the south. Later, perusing the various web-sites devoted to trees and forest health, I learned enough to alarm me ndash; that the Emerald ash borer, a small, strikingly green insect arrived from Asian and made itself first known in Michigan in 2002.nbsp; After claiming the lives of at least 30 million trees in Michigan alone, it has moved east, into Maryland and now Northern Virginia, where it was found in 2003 ndash; eradicated ndash; and then rediscovered in the summer of 2008 in Fairfax. The emerald ash borer works fast, excavating serpentine tunnels through the circulatory system of the tree just below the bark.nbsp; The effects are hard to detect in trees until the damage is done ndash; upper branches die first, and as the canopy declines, the tree sprouts wildly at its base in the effort to make new leaves.nbsp;nbsp; The beetle's range is about a half a mile, so destruction of ash trees in a radius around the infested site is one control method ndash; as are quarantines of wood products and plant stock. In July, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services established a quarantine area that consists of Fairfax, Arlington, Prince William, Fauquier and Loudoun counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park. Public awareness campaigns have sprouted up, too.nbsp; Slogans such as, "Spread the word, not the pest" may help ndash; and you can find more information at websites such as dontmovefirewood.org and stopthebeetle.info. It is not an exaggeration to say that the loss of these trees may change our Eastern forests as radically as the chestnut blight altered them in the early 1900s. At a time w... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Ecology,,Education,,Natural,History,,Other,waters lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/11/115-south-fork-rivanna-reservoir-stores-our-dirt-too/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/11/115-south-fork-rivanna-reservoir-stores-our-dirt-too/#comments Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:00:51 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/11/115-south-fork-rivanna-reservoir-stores-our-dirt-too/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/11/115-south-fork-rivanna-reservoir-stores-our-dirt-too/feed/ 0 5:23 December 11, 2008 There's a lot of different ways to look at our diminishing resources -- running out of clean water, clean air, and .... good ... December 11, 2008 There's a lot of different ways to look at our diminishing resources -- running out of clean water, clean air, and .... good dirt?nbsp; We might do well to look past the problem of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir filling up with dirt -- and try to understand the causes of -- and consequences of losing dirt from the landscapes upstream. This show originally aired on December 11, 2008nbsp; on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. There is slow steady winter rain thatrsquo;s keeping temperatures hovering around forty degrees and the skies dark with winter gloom.nbsp; But the rain is good -- for our groundwater, for our reservoirs, and it is good for the plants and animals that need this most essential resource to survive.nbsp; This rain is also filling our rivers ndash; and I would wager ndash; sending a good amount of water into the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, along with a healthy amount of dirt. Now, that dirt is slowly but surely filling the reservoir ndash; each year, decreasing its capacity from 1 to 5 per cent since it was completed in 1969.nbsp; In another example of our human short-sightedness, like many public works installations of the era, the design life of this reservoir was only fifty years, at which time the reservoir would be filled to over 50% of its capacity. This was the "water supply plan" back then ndash; and it is, in part, this plan that has us where we are today, scrambling to find a way to maintain the usefulness of a reservoir that was poorly situated with an uncharacteristically large watershed from which to drain --nbsp; and one that, in the conventional wisdom of the day, was always expected to fill up with sediment.nbsp; Hence, the current discussions about dredging. Since the cost of disposal of the dredge material is generally agreed to be the most expensive part of any dredging operation, this got me thinking about the value of the sediment itself and whether we are, once again, missing the mark in the way we think about our natural resources ndash; letting the pocket book drive the decision without consideration for other factors that, because they are ecosystem benefits and difficult to quantify, don't often get put into the cost benefit analysis. There have been some creative responses by contractors interested in dredging the South Fork Reservoir ndash; and in most cases, we donrsquo;t know the ultimate destination of the sediment, it's just part of the economic equation upon which the offers are being built.nbsp; They range from a method of opportunistic, selective dredging of just sand and gravel when market makes it economically profitable ndash; to more complex projects proposed, including using the fill to extend the Airport's runway ndash; or to fill a nearby quarry, presumably for reuse later on. The US Army Corps of Engineers has been thinking about the use of dredged materials for years.nbsp; Charged with keeping our waterways clear for navigation, the Corps promotes the use of dredged materials for creating wetlands and improving fish and wildlife habitats, as well as the construction-related kinds of uses, such as land creation for runways, buildings, and other human strudtures.nbsp; And dredge materials can also be used to improve the soil structure of poor agricultural lands, creating topsoil or serving as the base structure for soil amendments. Dr. David Montgomery is a geo-moprhologist and a 2008 MacArthur Foundation Fellow, who has spent his career looking at the complex relationship between rivers and the soils that they transport ndash; historically tone of the primary land changing processes. His recent book, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization, provides a sobering description of the consequences of squandering "good dirt" ndash; the topsoil in which we grow our food, the topsoil that takes generations to create.nbsp; Montgomery's book look... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Geology,,Headwaters,,Ivy,Creek,,Rivanna,River,,Sediment,,Uncategorized,,Water,Supply lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/29/113-thanksgiving-for-drinking-water/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/29/113-thanksgiving-for-drinking-water/#comments Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:05:06 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/29/113-thanksgiving-for-drinking-water/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/29/113-thanksgiving-for-drinking-water/feed/ 0 5:14 November 27, 2008 Walking through the South Fork Rivanna Water Treatment Plant brings a new appreciation for what it takes to turn river water into potable, ... November 27, 2008 Walking through the South Fork Rivanna Water Treatment Plant brings a new appreciation for what it takes to turn river water into potable, safe drinking water. This show originally aired on November 27, 2007 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. In late 1620, the God-fearing and intrepid band of Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, first stepped on the outer shores of Cape Cod ndash; close, but not quite there, in their search for a home and religious freedom in the New World.nbsp; After an arduous 2-month voyage across the Atlantic, their stores of fresh water ndash; and more importantly, the cider and beer on which most people relied for drink -- were precariously low. It took several forays down the sandy arm of the Cape to find rivers that spilled fresh water hellip; and eventually, when they moved the Mayflower to what is now known as Plymouth Harbor, it was chosen as much for its protection from Cape Cod Bay as for thenbsp; fresh water flowing in to it from the Jones River and a "very sweet brook" that flowed beside the landing rock, a brook that William Bradford wrote had as "good water as can be drunk."nbsp; He describe the water as "sweet," perhaps an adjective hard for us to appreciate in our modern day, unless we remember that by the 1600s, many rivers ndash; and city streets in the Old World ndash; were already fouled by sewage and what we would today call gray-water from bathing and laundering -- and were anything but sweet or safe to drink. For our Thanksgiving gatherings today, perhaps the one thing on the table that costs little in money or time to prepare is the water that fills our drinking glasses.nbsp; As a City resident, I get my water from the tap, with a simple turn of the wrist.nbsp; I do pay a monthly bill for this service (so it is not exactly "free").nbsp; Ad because I recently had the privilege of touring the South Fork Rivanna Water Treatment Plant, I now know a little more of what goes in to making the water safe for me to drink and cook with. Our tour, led by David Golladay, deputy manager water operations for the RWSA, starts outside in the chill bright air that has us all hugging ourselves for warmth as we walk the various stations of treatment.nbsp; Raw water from the reservoir is pumped uphill to the treatment facility where it travels through a series of 100-foot long settling basins for processes that remove the organics and dirt that give it the dense green -brown color of raw.nbsp; It's a mini-lesson in chemistry, as we learn how aluminum sulfate and other compounds are added to encourage the unwanted particles to clump together like small gauzy patches of snow and settle to the bottom.nbsp; As the water moves to other basins, long vacuum units remove what is now called sludge and send it down the hill to a dewatering facility that wrings out every last bit of moisture.nbsp; Eventually, the partially treated water moves inside and under cover, where it is dosed a second time with lime to adjust the pH, and where small amounts of chlorine and fluoride are added for our health and inhibitors added to reduce corrosion from the various piping systems it will eventually travel.nbsp; The treated water takes a final pass through filter basins made of crushed stone, sand, and coal, to capture any remaining impurities.nbsp; The result is water that regularly exceeds the Federal safe drinking water standards. All of these processes are overseen by one water treatment operator at the plant aided by modern electronics that provide closed circuit TV, automated and electronically controlled actuators for mixing and for analyzing water quality, pressure head, and flow through the various stages of treatment.nbsp; This plant treats 12 million gallons a day and sends it into the vast distribution network that delivers the water, on demand, 24 ndash;7 to homes and businesses like... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Rivanna,River,,South,Fork,,Water,Conservation,,Water,Quality,,Water,Supply lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/20/112-ginkgo-trees-the-oldest-living-plant/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/20/112-ginkgo-trees-the-oldest-living-plant/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:06:13 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/20/112-ginkgo-trees-the-oldest-living-plant/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/20/112-ginkgo-trees-the-oldest-living-plant/feed/ 1
Warning: parse_url(/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress_backend.php?action=getduration&filename=http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/112_rambler_ginkgo_mp3.mp3) [function.parse-url]: Unable to parse url in /home/.juilee/seantubbs/cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress.php on line 151
5:22 November 20, 2008 One of the oldest living plants on earth, Ginkgo biloba, owes its longevity to its ability to tolerate a wide range of climatic ... November 20, 2008 One of the oldest living plants on earth, Ginkgo biloba, owes its longevity to its ability to tolerate a wide range of climatic condition. This show originally aired on November 20, 2007 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net Occasionally, I get a call from someone ndash; usually my husband ndash; to report a sighting that is noteworthy of investigating for this show.nbsp; So last week, when my husband called, asking for the Rivanna Rambler in a whiny, pinched voice, I knew another tip was on its way. "I want to report a tree," the voice said. I pretended it was a crank call.nbsp; "What kind of tree?nbsp; Who Is this?" "A tree with leaves falling off of it." "What kind of tree?"nbsp; Hey, leaves were falling everywhere around town as the cold air and shorter days were finally forcing autumn's leafy splendor to the ground. "Gink-go." The voice said. Before I could say, "So what?" my husband, in normal voice now, told me that the gingko trees along Monticello Avenue that had just shed their leaves.nbsp; He had come upon them, empty and bare, a perfect circle of fan-shaped yellow leaves at the base of each tree. Now, I know of ginkgo biloba, used for thousands of years medicinally in the Far East, as a popular herbal supplement that is said to improve circulation and treat memory loss ndash; and researchers at Johns Hopkins say it shows promise of minimizing brain damage from stroke.nbsp; I had not paid it much attention, though, during tree courses, because it was only a specimen tree ndash; requiring propagation because it is not native to this area. But I was startled to learn that the gingko does, in fact, tend to drop its leaves all at one time, as though in response to a signal spread simultaneously through the organism along pathways we have yet to discover.nbsp; A signal, that it is time.nbsp; Time to let go and pass into the quiet dormancy of winter. I thought I'd better investigate for myself, so I drove over to UVA and found a large specimen on the curve of Alderman as it joins Ivy Road, just opposite the Chapel.nbsp; Its dark trunk and branches were not completely bare, but I could see the distinctive spur shoots on its branches.nbsp; Along that side of the road, five other ginkgos had been planted, young ones, only twenty feet tall, and here I saw at the base of each the telltale circle of yellow.nbsp; Later, I learned that the oldest local specimen stands by the Rotunda ndash;- the Pratt Ginkgo, named for William Pratt, the first Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, who planted it from seed in 1860.nbsp; Blandy Experimental Farm has a grove 340 specimens, one of the largest collections outside of China. By the age of the dinosaurs 200 million years ago, several species of ginkgos had been widespread in North America and Europe for many millions of years.nbsp; But the tree seemed to decline after the age of the dinosaurs, and was gone from both North America Europe two million years ago.nbsp; When it was rediscovered 1691 in Japan, botanists realized that the tree had actually survived in China where Buddhist monks cultivated the tree and spread it by seed to Japan and Korea.nbsp; Records show that individual trees have lived 3000, maybe even 4000 years ndash; and the species perhaps owes its survival to its longevity. The gingko tree is now ubiquitous ndash; as an ornamental in gardens all over the world, as street trees, as specimens in botanical gardens everywhere. In the Far East it is still planted near monasteries and shrines because it is thought that the bark and leaves secrete a sap that is fire-retardant.nbsp; It survives well in urban settings around the world due to its natural resistance to diseases, insects, air pollution and even radioactive radiation. Not surprisingly, once noticed, I started to see the ginkgo tree everywhere.nbsp; Around to... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Ecology,,Natural,History lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/06/110-here-comes-the-hydrilla-part-2/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/06/110-here-comes-the-hydrilla-part-2/#comments Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:05:46 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/06/110-here-comes-the-hydrilla-part-2/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/06/110-here-comes-the-hydrilla-part-2/feed/ 0
Warning: parse_url(/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress_backend.php?action=getduration&filename=http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/110_hydrilla_part_2_mp3.mp3) [function.parse-url]: Unable to parse url in /home/.juilee/seantubbs/cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress.php on line 151
5:04 November 6, 2008 Hydrilla may improve certain aspects of water quality, but it is an invasive aquatic weed that has caused numerous problems around the country.nbsp; ... November 6, 2008 Hydrilla may improve certain aspects of water quality, but it is an invasive aquatic weed that has caused numerous problems around the country.nbsp; The future maintenance of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir will need to address this growing problem in the reservoir.nbsp; This show originally aired on October 30, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. Last week, we learned about the aquatic weed, hydrilla, an herbaceous, perennial freshwater herb originally imported from southeast Asian for aquariums and water gardens ndash; and a plant that has taken over millions of acres of shallow standing and moving water in the United States.nbsp; Unfortunately, it has taken rootnbsp; in our watershed, particularly in the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, but it has also been found in tributaries like the North Fork as well as the river itself downstream from the reservoir. Like many plants that are characterized as invasive, it is not unattractive.nbsp; It has delicate leaves organized in whorls of three to eight around a central stalk that rises to the surface in water that can be from a foot to fifteen feet deep.nbsp; The leaves are 2 to 4 millimeters wide and can be from six to 20 millimeters long ndash; and what distinguishes hydrilla from the native pondweed (elodea), as well as a another look-alike transplant, the Brazilian waterweed, is the presence of many sharp teeth along the margin of the leaves. Invasive species take hold in our local habitat through a variety of means.nbsp; Some terrestrial plants out-compete natives by emerging earlier in the season, or being resistant to the evolutionary system of ecological checks and balances, or by reproducing in a scale that overwhelms local species.nbsp; Hydrilla has its own set of tricks for flourishing in the places it is introduced, whether by boats traveling from one waterway to another, or on the wind, or using other aquatic species to hitchhike a ride.nbsp; Once in a waterbody, it spreads out and forms dense canopies that can shade out native vegetation ndash; and while these areas can provide protective nursery grounds for juvenile fish, it is not a major food source for aquatic species.nbsp; Fishermen on our reservoir report seeing larger fish taking cover in the hydrilla ndash; but it is hard to get to them without snagging a lure full of heavy weed. Hydrilla also alters water quality by raising the pH and decreasing oxygen as well as increasing temperature under the mats of weed.nbsp; In slow moving water, the stands that are rooted to the bottom can catch sediment and accelerate the process of filling in and creating islands, as has been seen along many stretches of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. And these clever hydrilla have more than one way of reproducing. The plants, such as those often found in the mid-Atlantic, can host both male and female flowers, making for an easy date between ovary and sperm.nbsp; Plants also produce rhizomes that root horizontally in bottom soils, sending up new shoots opportunistically.nbsp; If that weren't enough, the plants also produce turions, small tuber-like growths that grow between stem and leaf and breaking free in the fall and floating till they fetch up in another spot, ready to take root in the spring.nbsp; With all these reproductive mechanisms at work, it's easy to see how simply mowing down the plants, as is done in some areas to clear docks or swimming areas, is only a partial solution ndash; and how eradication, as well as prevention of its spread, is next to impossible. Though chemical agents can kill the plants, many localities have used grass carp ndash; also an imported species ndash; to control hydrilla, though this has its own risks. Grass carp will out-compete native fish species ndash; and are only recommended in enclosed water bodies.nbsp; Our reservoir is only a temporary impoundment... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Ecology,,Natural,History,,North,Fork,Rivanna,,Rivanna,River,,Rivanna,mainstem,,South,Fork,,Water,Quality,,Water,Supply lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/30/109-here-comes-the-hydrilla/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/30/109-here-comes-the-hydrilla/#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:11:35 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/30/109-here-comes-the-hydrilla/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/30/109-here-comes-the-hydrilla/feed/ 0
Warning: parse_url(/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress_backend.php?action=getduration&filename=http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/109_rambler_mp3.mp3) [function.parse-url]: Unable to parse url in /home/.juilee/seantubbs/cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress.php on line 151
5:07 October 30, 2008 While the Virginia Film Festival showcases movies about aliens from other countries, other lives, and other worlds, we need look no further than ... October 30, 2008 While the Virginia Film Festival showcases movies about aliens from other countries, other lives, and other worlds, we need look no further than out own watershed for invasives of the biological variety.nbsp; The South Fork Rivanna Reservoir is now infested with Hydrilla verticillata, an aquatic weed that has caused problems in lakes, rivers, and sounds in other parts of the country. This show originally aired on October 30, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. I was reading in the paper how Richard Herkowitz, director of the Virginia Film Festival, decided that the subject of aliens could have social, political, as well as entertainment value ndash; and now we are in the midst of the movies about topics that range from immigration to space invasions.nbsp; We use the word alien to describe something that is "not from here" and usually with the connotation that it has no business being here.nbsp; Many times, we ascribe to aliens the notion that they are "invading," and thus underscore the menacing potential. Well, these terms are also used in the biological world.nbsp; While an alien species is simply "one not native to an area," it may become invasive if it is able to out-compete similar but native species.nbsp; If it is able to overcome ndash; or even thrive ndash; within the ecological limits provided by other native organisms, the plants, insects, and animals that have evolved together in a healthy balance. While alien space invaders may be thrilling or scary to contemplate, it is usually much harder for any of us to have a similar reaction about an invasive plant species ndash; like the common reed, Phragmites, that is overwhelming wetlands across the eastern seaboard and changing the visual and ecological character of marshy areas.nbsp; Or the Zebra mussel, whose capacity for feeding and filtering has rendered waters from the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence Seaway stunningly clear, but biologically barren.nbsp; Usually, we first become aware of such invasions when they have an economic impact ndash; such as the need to keep water intakes from fowling with Zebra Mussels. But thanks to the focused attention of the South Rivanna Reservoir Task Force, we now know that we have an aquatic invasion in our watershed. Hydrilla verticillata, commonly known as hydrilla, is forming dense mats of growth along the margins of the reservoir, reducing access to rowing lanes, snagging fishermen's lures and stopping the strokes of boater's paddles. Those who row on the reservoir say its been a recent addition, only first noticed a couple of years ago, but dramatically increasing during this last growing season. Hydrilla came to the US through the nursery trade in the 1950's and has infested waters in coastal areas since the 1970's ndash; producing thick mats of vegetation on still and slow moving waters in Florida, Washington state, and now in the mid-Atlantic. Nearby in Louisa County, hydrilla management has been in effect for almost a decade to keep water intakes to the power plant unobstructed ndash; and simultaneously clearing the surface of the water for recreational boating. True to its invasive nature, hydrilla has multiple means of reproduction ndash; tubers at its roots, seeds from flowers, and turions ndash; those small seed-like growths at the axil of the plant stem.nbsp; These can survive ice, ingestion, and burial in bottom sediments for several years.nbsp; Mowing or chopping down plants only results in more aggressive growth. Other biological characteristics contribute to hydrilla's success.nbsp; Because it absorbs carbon from the water more efficiently than other plants and can store its own phosphorous, it thrives during summer months when these nutrients can be limited.nbsp; Because of this, some say that hydrilla improves water quality ndash; and though fisherman will say that it'... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Ecology,,Rivanna,River,,South,Fork,,Water,Supply,,Wetlands lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/16/107-south-fork-rivanna-reservoir-task-force/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/16/107-south-fork-rivanna-reservoir-task-force/#comments Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:24:26 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/16/107-south-fork-rivanna-reservoir-task-force/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/16/107-south-fork-rivanna-reservoir-task-force/feed/ 0
Warning: parse_url(/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress_backend.php?action=getduration&filename=http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/107_sfrr_mp3.mp3) [function.parse-url]: Unable to parse url in /home/.juilee/seantubbs/cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/podpress.php on line 151
6:03 October 16, 2008 The South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, built in 1966, is continuing to silt in from upstream erosion.nbsp; The South Fork Rivanna Reservoir Task Force ... October 16, 2008 The South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, built in 1966, is continuing to silt in from upstream erosion.nbsp; The South Fork Rivanna Reservoir Task Force is examining the condition of the reservoir and is seeking public input regarding its uses and fate. This show originally aired on October 5, 2006 and as an encore on October 9, 2008nbsp; on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. Almost twice a month for the last couple of months, a small group of citizens and representatives of various stakeholders has been meeting to discuss the fate of the South Fork Ravenna Reservoir.nbsp; The members of this task force represent the variety of uses and benefits that the reservoir now affords this community. Built in 1966 to augment the storage capacity at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir, it now also provides miles of flatwater for varsity and community rowers.nbsp; Fishermen come from surrounding counties to launch jon boats at all times of day and night.nbsp; Novice canoeists learn their first skills on its calm dark waters.nbsp; The upper reaches of Ivy Creek consistently offer sightings of beaver, green and great blue herons, turtles, and, sometimes even bobcats. The reservoir also provides an immutable kind of pleasure and solace that only an expanse of water can do ndash; one that can be appreciated looking upstream or down while crossing its bridges, or for the fortunate few who live along its shores, from livings rooms and decks.nbsp; Out of sight ndash; and out of the minds of most ndash; is what lies beneath, the remains of a small but thriving African American community at Hydraulic Mills which was vacated and submerged when the waters rose after the dam construction. The aesthetic, recreational, and ecological benefits were never the primary purpose of building this reservoir, but as the community contemplates its future, it is these very benefits that the Task Force has been asked to consider by the four chairs ndash; two of them elected, Charlottesville's Mayor, Dave Norris, and the Chair of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, Ken Boyd ndash; and two appointed, the Chair of the Albemarle County Service Authority Board, Don Wagner, and the RWSA Board Chair, Mike Gaffney. The Task Force has been asked to determine what would happen to the reservoir if nothing is done to maintain it hellip; and to make recommendations about whether or not to maintain itndash; presumably by dredging.nbsp; And finally, if dredging is to be recommended, for what purpose?nbsp; Retain the ecologic benefits?nbsp; The recreational benefits?nbsp; The guidance was clear to the Task Force ndash; With the approved water supply as a given, lets turn our attention to the South Fork Reservoir. It may seem to some a no-brainer that, of course, we would maintain this piece of aging infrastructure ndash; one that in the 1960s was actually designed for a useful life of only fifty years.nbsp; That's the way it was done back then ndash; and we are not alone in this community in grappling what to do now that hindsight has caught up with us and our infrastructure, including dams, now demand attention. And you'd think that dredging the South Fork should obviously become the centerpiece of any future water supply plan ndash; but somehow, it didn't in this last go around.nbsp; How could that be so? There are a variety of reasons, some regulatory and some practical.nbsp; Foremost is the fact that simply dredging to the original volume will not get this community to the 50 year need, based on growth and water use predictions.nbsp; And there are other issues:nbsp; dredging requires permits from the Army Corp of Engineers, who carefully regulate all land-disturbing activity on river bottoms and who are especially watchful over the wetlands that provide multiple ecologic benefit. And the water supply plan must address other aspects of aging... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Headwaters,,Ivy,Creek,,Moormans,River,,Rivanna,River,,Sediment,,South,Fork,,Water,Supply lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/09/11/102-stormwater-at-the-dell-righting-a-wrong/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/09/11/102-stormwater-at-the-dell-righting-a-wrong/#comments Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:42:15 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/09/11/102-stormwater-at-the-dell-righting-a-wrong/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/09/11/102-stormwater-at-the-dell-righting-a-wrong/feed/ 0 00:01:01 September 11, 2008 The University of Virginia's Stormwater Management Program has resulted in transformations of the built environment while at the same time improving water ... September 11, 2008 The University of Virginia's Stormwater Management Program has resulted in transformations of the built environment while at the same time improving water quality. The Dell is once such transformation. This show originally aired in September 11, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net Last night after a meeting at UVA's Newcomb Hall, I strolled across Emmet Street to The Dell for a quiet moment on the water. At the end of the hot day, the air temperature was falling as the undersides of clouds darkened with gray. From a bench across the pond I could see blue and orange shirts and shorts moving on the basketball court. The pool before me reflected the action in segments clipped by a row of young arbor vitae planted along the edge of the court. Above me, bats streaked through darkening air, criss-crossing over the water partaking of misquotes. The sound of Emmet Street traffic was constant, but the longer I sat, the more it started to blend with a new sound ndash; one of flowing water from somewhere beyond a large English boxwood leftover from a former landscape. I was sitting by a section of Meadow Creek that has been rehabilitated and restored, brought to the surface after being contained in the 1950's. When the construction of the dorms at McCormick Road altered the topography of Meadow Creek near its headwaters at Observatory Hill, the water, still answering to gravity and the lay of the land, needed somewhere to go ndash; and in the conventional wisdom of that era, concrete, drain pipe, and culverts were employed to route it away and downhill. The project at The Dell is now famous for bringing this section of Meadow Creek back to the light of day ndash; while creating a mixed habitat alongside the restored stream flowing in to a formally landscaped retention pond ndash; the floodplain real estate shared with the basketball courts, tennis courts, and walking trails. The Dell, and other innovative storm water projects at UVA have been much publicized. This month's Landscape Architecture magazine has a multi-page glossy spread about the project, along with the redevelopment of the stream valley of Meadow Creek just downhill several thousand feet downstream at the John Paul Jones arena. There, roof and parking lot rainwater are collected in planted swales and rain gardens engineered to slow the water so that it can infiltrate through the layers of soil and feed the creek in the slow but sure way of groundwater. Jeff Sitler, UVA's Environmental Compliance Manager ndash;says he's giving about a tour a week these days, and rightly so. Five years since the completion of the Dell, the university knows that its working; the plants are filling out nicely; and it has become a place that attracts wildlife, students, neighbors, and the occasional citizen like me who can't resist a water feature of any kind. Between the pond and the copse of woods where the creek emerges from its containment is a greenway spotted with picnic benches. The designers used the change in elevation to replicate the three main physiographic regions of Virginia. Mountain laurel and hemlock in the upper reach speak for the Blue Ridge. Along the stream, stepped into riffle by strategically placed boulders are the plants, of the piedmont, dogwoods and species of ilex and magnolia only found in this region. Finally as the water emerges in to the open stretches of pool and pond, it has arrived symbolically at the coastal plains, the flatland marshes, arrow plant and cattail, wetlands doing the work of nutrient and sediment uptake as they do in the tidal reaches of the Chesapeake Bay. As I sat in the shadows, much of the beauty of the Dell was beyond my sight ndash; in the way that storm water has often out of sight, channeled away from the places WE want to be. But it was we humans who named it storm water to begin... Charlottesville,,Meadowcreek,,Native,Landscaping,,Rivanna,River,,Stormwater,,Wetlands lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/08/14/98-the-restoration-of-meadow-creek/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/08/14/98-the-restoration-of-meadow-creek/#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:49:25 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/08/14/98-the-restoration-of-meadow-creek/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/08/14/98-the-restoration-of-meadow-creek/feed/ 0 00:01:01 August 14, 2008 One of the most degraded streams in Charlottesville, Meadow Creek, will get a major restoration in 2009 when The Nature Conservancy ... August 14, 2008 One of the most degraded streams in Charlottesville, Meadow Creek, will get a major restoration in 2009 when The Nature Conservancy along with its partners rebuild and restore 7000 feet between the City and County.nbsp; This show originally aired in August 14, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net You know something is not right when you walk up to the edge of MeadowCreek behind Kmart off Hydraulic Road. The bank drops down vertically to the stream bottom where a small flow trickles over the rocks. You are not sure how close you can get because looking upstream, you can see places where high water flow from storms has tunneled into the bank leaving just a flap of grass, hinged and drooping over the edge like the unruly bangs of a boy overdue for a haircut. And you've seen this kinds of washed-out bank everywhere in the watershed, and especially as you walk along the Rivanna Trails encircling Charlottesville. For years, you may have said to yourself, this canrsquo;t be right, all this dirt eroding away, headed downstream in a brown muddy mess. But how do you ever go about fixing something like this? And can it even BE fixed? Well it turns out that it can ndash; or so a growing number of resource managers think ndash; and for the last decade or so, there has been a learning curve as steep as these banks in developing the science and art of restoring streams. On this warm sunny afternoon, I'm learning about one project in the planning stages that will hopefully bring a mile and a quarter of Meadow Creek back in to equilibrium with its banks. This restoration project being undertaken by The Nature Conservancy will involve physically rebuilding the shape of the river and carefully placing structures and planting new vegetation, so that the creek should be able to withstand the damaging flows that wash down from its watershed. And what a watershed it is! This section of Meadow Creek gathers the rain and runoff from the University below O-Hill, the stadium area, Barracks Road Shopping Center, the Giant Shopping Center, and small subdivisions flanking 29 North. Flattened and paved, it is mostly roofs and roads, asphalt and houses and lawns ndash; all the man-made surfaces that discourage the slow infiltration of rain into the earth that is necessary for refreshing groundwater -- and that reduces the volume and velocity of water from storms that are the engine of erosion. About the only good thing about all this upstream development is that there are not a lot of remaining opportunities to cut trees and further harden the earth with pavement ndash; but even so, any restoration project has to take in to account the likely upstream changes, such as the soon- or sometime-to-be-built Albemarle Place. Walking along the streams margin, I learn more about the Meadow Creek Stream Restoration project from Diane Frisbee of The Nature Conservancy and her colleague, Dan Sweet, a stream restoration specialist who has helped define the segments most in need of help and will be involved in designing the new channel and creating pools and riffles ndash; building back in the curves and dips that slow the flow and create healthy habitat for the bottom of the aquatic foodchain that is presently overwhelmed by sediment-laden run-off. Diane explains that this project is being funded by the Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund ndash; one of the mechanisms used in Virginia to ensure the "no-net-loss of wetlands" requirement of the Clean Water Act. When site development impacts wetlands, and there are no practical means of avoiding or mitigating this loss on the site, the developer may have the option to pay in to the Trust Fund to compensate for wetland loss -- and this money can be used elsewhere in the State to restore important but degraded wetlands and segments of impaired streams. It is bitters... Albemarle,County,,Charlottesville,,Chesapeake,Bay,,Geology,,Meadowcreek,,Stormwater,,Water,Quality,,Wetlands lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No