The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has awarded over $3 million in funding to localities to improve water quality across the state.
This funding is dedicated to projects that will help reduce pollution related to stormwater, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification, also known as nonpoint source (NPS) pollution.
Funding recipients include municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, and other organizations that will implement improvement projects designed to prevent and control NPS pollution. Available through the federal Clean Water Act’s Section 319, the funding will improve water quality through best management practices designed to reduce impacts on local streams and watersheds. DEQ is the commonwealth’s lead agency for implementing NPS pollution control programs and disburses federal, state and non-profit grant funds.
2018-2019 Implementation Projects
- Upper Roanoke River – Part I Western Virginia Water Authority Roanoke $342,875.00
- North Fork River Watershed Evergreen SWCD Smyth $340,638.31
- Tye River, Hat Creek, Rucker Run & Piney River Thomas Jefferson SWCD Nelson & Amherst $315,474.38
- Upper Rapidan River Culpeper SWCD Greene, Madison, Orange, & Albemarle $314,066.73
- Robinson River and Little Dark Run Culpeper SWCD Madison $291,282.34
- Upper Goose Creek John Marshall SWCD Fauquier $266,868.23
- Clinch River and Cove Creek Clinch Valley SWCD Russell $250,413.52
- Roanoke River Implementation Plan Part I Mountain Castles SWCD Roanoke $245,601.00
- Lower Banister River, Winn and Terrible Creeks Halifax SWCD Halifax $222,100.00
- Slate River and Rock Island Creek Peter Francisco SWCD Buckingham $170,272.00
- James River and Tributaries City of Richmond City of Richmond $175,413.69
- James River and Tributaries James River Association City of Richmond $128,869.50 $3,063,874.70
“Each of these projects is a small but measurable step towards cleaner, healthier watersheds,” said DEQ Water Planning Division Director Jutta Schneider. “These grants enable localities and environmental groups to accomplish critical improvements where they are most needed.”
NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. Runoff carries away natural and human-made pollutants, and deposits them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground waters. With public participation, DEQ develops implementation plans for each watershed and includes best management practices such as excluding livestock from streams, repairing failing septic systems and planting vegetation buffers.
DEQ has been working on cleanup plans for local watersheds since 2001. Many similar projects have demonstrated significant water quality improvements. Recently DEQ was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for the progress Virginia’s NPS pollution program has made addressing pollution issues.
For more information about nonpoint source pollution and implementation priorities, visit: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WaterQualityInformationTMDLs.aspx
Share
Contributors
