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/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/2008/07/17/96-allegheny-highlands/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/17/96-allegheny-highlands/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:33:54 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/17/96-allegheny-highlands/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/17/96-allegheny-highlands/feed/ 0 00:01:01 July 24, 2008 The Calfpasture, Cowpasture, and Bullpasture Rivers in the Alleghany Highlands provide relieve from summer heat and humidity of the Virginia Piedmont. nbsp;This show originally ... July 24, 2008 The Calfpasture, Cowpasture, and Bullpasture Rivers in the Alleghany Highlands provide relieve from summer heat and humidity of the Virginia Piedmont. nbsp;This show originally aired in July 19, 2007 and then again on July 24, 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 It is 8 am and the temperature is 78 degrees. With the mercury set to climb towards 100 and the relative humidity chasing after it, I have decided that I, too, will climb, escaping to the hills and a change of climate.nbsp; My friend Alyson and I set a course towards the western mountains, the Alleghany highlands in that corner hump of Virginia where it shares its boundary with West Virginia.nbsp; Wersquo;re headed to that block of the Virginia Gazetteer, where Maps 64 and 65 spread open across the page reveal the topographic marvel of the ridge and valley contours of this region. We take Route 250 out of Staunton towards Whites Store follwing Jennings Branch, tributary of the Middle River which bisects the Valley as it heads towards its confluence with the South Fork of the Shenandoah and on to the Potomac River.nbsp;nbsp; Though it is imperceptible to my eye, something does shift here.nbsp; Somewhere between Chestnut Oak Knob to the north and Crawford Mountain to the south of 250, we descend ever so slightly into the valley of the Calfpasture River crossing it in the hamlet of West Augusta.nbsp; Starting here, the rivers and streams collect and flow to the southwest towards their eventual mother river, the James. Once again our car climbs slowly, past the cool green, but dry river bed of Ramseyrsquo;s Draft, then on to the crest of Shenandoah Mountain at 3500.nbsp; In the distance, in spite of the haze, we can see mountaintops marching blue towards the horizon. Alleghany comes from the Algonquin word for ldquo;endless,rdquo; and it is easy to see why. The road descends serpentine down into the next valley defined by its river, the Cowpasture. Turning down the valley on Route 614, we open our windows and let the fresh air in.nbsp; It is thankfully cooler ndash; even in the valley we are at least 1000 feet higher than Charlottesville, which climatologically means wersquo;ve achieved a drop of 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit.nbsp; Before the advent of air conditioning in the 1930rsquo;s these highlands were where Virginians who could afford to would retreat ndash; some to the healing waters of lavish resorts, others to more modest cabins and camps. At Williamsville, elevation 2360, we turn northward through the Bullpasture River gorge.nbsp; When the valley opens up, we take a rough driveway to a row shacks along the river, all seemingly empty, so we park and make our picnic along the bank.nbsp; Because the cooler air holds less moisture, my body is better able to cool itself by evaporation.nbsp; The urge to immerse myself in water, has been replaced by the pleasure of a comfortable temperature and the sound of the river descending its gradient. The Bullpasture is considered one of the most scenic and pristine rivers in Virginia.nbsp; As we eat our sandwiches, a rustle on the far bank catches my eye.nbsp; A mink winds its way over branch and rock down the river bank in a rhythym of bounding hops and strides, unheeding of our presence.nbsp; Shortly thereafter, a kingfisher screeches down the river in the same direction, its flight a lilting counterpoint to its call.nbsp; From time to time, a fish jumps, flashing luminescent pink and green.nbsp; These rivers are known for trout, native and stocked.nbsp; We are clearly not the only ones eating. There is a story in the names of these rivers. When the British settlers arrived in the 1720rsquo;s, they renamed that which the Indians called Walatoola for winding waters, the Cowpasture River. According to legend, a band of Indians stole a herd of cattle belonging to the settlers and attempted to drive... Uncategorized lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/10/94-rerun-of-show-92-love-them-bugs/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/10/94-rerun-of-show-92-love-them-bugs/#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:26:18 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/10/94-rerun-of-show-92-love-them-bugs/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/07/10/94-rerun-of-show-92-love-them-bugs/feed/ 0 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/05/29/90-water-supply-plan-repeat-show-88/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/05/29/90-water-supply-plan-repeat-show-88/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 20:29:09 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/05/29/90-water-supply-plan-repeat-show-88/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/05/29/90-water-supply-plan-repeat-show-88/feed/ 0 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/08/23/4/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/08/23/4/#comments Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:04:00 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/?p=4 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/08/23/4/feed/ 0