N.F. Shenandoah at Fulks Run

Information sur la source

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has assumed responsibility for bacterial testing of the state's streams and rivers in order to determine general water quality and to determine suitability for direct contact recreation. This bacterial testing takes place infrequently. Therefore, Shenandoah Riverkeeper does not feel there is enough information to make daily or weekly advisories on the safety of valley waterways. Virginia's beaches, incidentally, are monitored on a weekly basis by local health department officials. In the coming year, Shenandoah Riverkeeper may begin to advocate for increased monitoring of our most recreationally popular reaches of river in order to be able to provide the same level of information to the estimated quarter million annual recreational users of the Shenandoah River, that beach-goers enjoy. For educational purposes, Virginia considers a waterbody suitable for direct contact recreation when fewer than 8 out of 1000 users are expected to experience illness from direct contact with the water. This illness reate corresponds with instantaneious bacteria levels of 235 colonies of E-Coli bacteria/ 100 ml of water. Over time, if 10.5% or more of all samples at a given river location show more than 235 colonies of bacterial per 100ml, then that segment of stream is deemed "impaired" by the state, which means it does not meet standards for direct contact recreation. Shenandoah Riverkeeper hopes to provide more information over the ensuing months to help guide users in their choice of access locations on the Shenandoah.