Pollution In Hughes River A Concern

By Jane DeGeorge

Published: March 6, 2008

Area officials hope to restore a three-and-a-half mile section of the Hughes River—which they say is polluted—by creating a pollution reduction plan for residents of the stream’s watershed, including those living in the Nethers and Etlan areas.

The Hughes River, as well as sections of the Rush River and Hazel River (located and also fed by waterways and land within Culpeper and Rappahannock counties), contains unsafe levels of fecal coliform bacteria, which is found in human and animal waste, according to officials.

Representatives from the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission and a private engineering firm have completed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study of the Rappahannock River basin, which includes these streams, in order to identify pollution sources.

TMDL refers to the amount of a specific pollutant that a body of water can hold without violating state water quality standards, according to the regional commission’s Web site.

Different possible sources of pollution identified in the study include, livestock and pets defecating in waterways, failing septic systems and the use of “straight pipes,” which deliver waste directly into streams without any type of water treatment process.

The next step in the TMDL process is to create an implementation plan that would outline actions residents within the watersheds can take to reduce their pollution contribution, according to Matt Criblez, a regional planner with the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission.

“It’s a plan of action with specific benchmarks, timelines and budgets of how to meet the water quality standard,” Criblez said.

The water quality standard officials are working to achieve within these waterways would make “primary contact,” including swimming and fishing, safe, he said.

Possible suggested actions include, fencing streams to prevent livestock and pets from entering the water, removing straight pipes and pumping out or fixing septic tanks, Crebliz said. Taking part in any of the suggested actions is completely voluntary for all residents, he said.

If each county agrees that they support the development of the implementation plan, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Conservation and Recreation may provide funding for a consultant to develop this plan, which could take about six months to complete, the regional planner said.

Financial assistance for citizens who want to take part in the plan may be available through the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District, according to Crebliz.

(There are other ongoing TMDL projects of different waterways in Madison County, which would be addressed in separate implementation plans.)

For information, visit the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission’s Web site at www.rrregion.org/rappbasin.html.