📌📅You're Invited! Stream Health Community Learning Series

Stream Health Initiative

Thursday, February 18th, 2021

In our Discover Questionnaire, you told us what stream health topics you wanted to learn more about. So, we lined up this amazing series of 1-hour talks. Mark your calendar and join us!

Stream Health Community Learning Series

via Zoom on Fridays from 12-1 pm

Introduction to the Rural Area

Feb. 26 Zoom Link

Learn about the characteristics of Albemarle County's Rural Area, including current land and water use. This session will also explore how past changes to the landscape and to waterways can be reflected in current stream conditions.

Local Water Supply and Source Water Protection

Mar. 5 Zoom Link

Representatives from the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) will share information about our local water supplies and planning for future demands.

Water Protection Policies and Programs

Mar. 12 Zoom Link

Albemarle County's Chief of Environmental Services and County Engineer will talk about mandated and voluntary County water protection policies and programs.

Stream Ecology and Monitoring

Mar. 19 Zoom Link

Technical experts from Rivanna Conservation Alliance and DEQ will talk about water quality monitoring efforts and the current conditions of our waterways in Albemarle County.

Homeowners Associations (HOAs) and Stream Health

Mar. 26 Zoom Link

HOAs can have an important role to play in creating common spaces that benefit the greater good in local communities. Join us to hear from the Piedmont Environmental Council on how sustainable landscaping and management of common spaces can help improve watershed health, water quality, and wildlife habitat.

Landowner Opportunities: Cost-share and Conservation Programs

Apr. 2 Zoom Link

Join technical experts from the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District (TJSWCD) and Albemarle County to learn about Best Management Practices (BMPs) for stream protection and types of financial assistance available to help residential, agricultural, and forestal landowners implement BMPs and other conservation practices on their land.

Stream Restoration 101

Apr. 9 Zoom Link

What is stream restoration? What does a stream restoration project look like? Learn from technical experts and hear about successful stream restoration projects in Albemarle County.

The goal of the Stream Health Initiative is to develop strategies for improving stream health in Albemarle County using a collaborative and inclusive process.

Let's Discover Stream Health Together

The first stage of this project is all about discovery. We've designed a questionnaire to help us learn about you (your interests, how best to share information with you, etc.). Your responses will help us develop programs (like virtual lunch & learns and tours) that will enable our community to build a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with stream health in the rural area.

Visit www.publicinput.com/streamhealth to watch our Stream Health 101 video, answer the "discover" questions, and sign up for project updates.

photo: Chesapeake Bay Program

Did You Know?

Albemarle County is home to a broad range of types and sizes of waterways – from steep, narrow, and cool headwater streams in the west against the Blue Ridge Mountains, to wide and slow-moving Piedmont streams in the central and eastern parts of the county. Brook trout can be found in those cooler fast-flowing mountain streams, while rare freshwater mussels have been found in the shallows of some of the county’s cobble-covered and winding streams.

Background about the Stream Health Initiative

In 2017, the Board of Supervisors directed County staff to develop strategies for improving stream health and water quality in the county. The project, referred to as the Stream Health Initiative, supports the objectives and strategies of the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which has a strong focus on protecting and improving water resources.

The Stream Health Initiative was divided into two phases. Phase 1, which is still ongoing, has focused on development-related issues and strategies for improving stream health in the county. Thirteen specific proposals were developed, some of which have been implemented; work on others is ongoing.

Phase 2 of the Stream Health Initiative will focus on issues and strategies for improving stream health in the Rural Areas.

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