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Watershed Protection Program
The
Watershed Protection Program was first
established in 1984 between the Robert E. Lee
Soil and Water District and Amherst County in
order to protect its public water supply. The
primary drinking water sources include the
Buffalo River, Mill Creek Reservoir, Harris
Creek, and Graham Creek Reservoir. Any type of
land use can impact the natural resources and
bodies of water within these protected
watersheds and other watersheds. The goal of the
program is to try to reduce non-point source
pollution (NPS) from entering these waterways.
Non-point source pollution can be anything that
gets picked up by rainwater runoff and gets in
to a body of water. Improper application of
fertilizers and pesticides can contribute
excessive loads of nutrients and chemicals to
surface waters. Sediments can enter by means of
stream bank erosion, due to loss of streamside
vegetation. Livestock wading in the streams can
cause major erosion and an increase in bacterial
contamination and nutrients. Faulty septic
systems can also add nutrients and bacteria.
Reducing NPS pollution not only improves water
quality for human and aquatic life, it also
reduces local water treatment and filtration
costs.
The Watershed Coordinator for the District, with
the help of local college interns, coordinates
the watershed assessments. The assessments
include surveying streams for water degradation,
determining land use impacts and pinpointing
source of NPS pollution. The surveys are
non-regulatory and are used to suggest methods
that could enhance the water quality in local
waterways. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are
conservation measures used to improve water
quality and protect natural resources. Some
examples of BMPs would include restoring eroded
stream banks with vegetation, fencing livestock
out of streams, and supplying livestock with an
alternative watering system. Cost-share money is
available for Amherst County residents to
implement Best Management Practices on their
property. The participation of land owners in
conservation programs and the permission of land
owners to survey private property are pertinent
to the success of improving Amherst Counties’
drinking water sources. By landowners
volunteering their property in conservation
practices, they will not only be reducing
pollution from our waterways, but also be
forestalling the onset regulatory measures.
If
you are interested in signing up for a
conservation practice and/or allowing us to a do
a watershed assessment on your property please
contact: Anne Marie Clarke, Watershed
Coordinator at (434) 851-7043
Agricultural
BMP reductions in the protected watersheds of
Amherst County
Willows for LIFE Riparian
Planting Projects for Spring 2010

Jerome Facchina, Spring '09 intern from
Lynchburg College, samples the waters of the
Buffalo River in Amherst County for
macro-invertebrates (aquatic insects).
The
macro-invertebrates found on the rocks in
streams are proven to be biological indicators
of the quality of water due to their varying
tolerances to pollution. Some insects are
sensitive to water pollution so if
present this indicates a better water quality
Let us help
you improve farm productivity
and improve water quality!
Find out more here.

Buffalo River Watershed
Progress Report

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