Urban Stream Restoration

As you may remember, I spent a lot of time in my undergrad studies working to restore an urban stream near Richmond, VA. The construction date got pushed back three or four times, but I was recently in town and stopped by my alma mater and was informed that, not only had construction begun, but it was almost done! Amazing how quick it progresses.

I'll post a few pictures, but it's hard to really get an idea of the magnitude of change without having first visited the site. To give a hint though, this is a headwater stream and the banks were easily 7-8ft tall in places. If anyone is ever in Richmond, stop by an I'll give you a tour!

And then some pictures of the newly-restored sections!!

From highly degraded to nearly pristine-Levisa Fork and Smith River

I helped out some labmates Thursday through Sunday last week and had the opportunity to work in drastically different systems that both contain state Endangered species. The Levisa fork is located in Buchanan County Virginia. The river is impacted by coal mining and sewage and has channelized to reduce flooding and to accommodate a railroad and 460 that parallel it on opposite sides. I've attached a picture of the state Endangered variegate darter (Etheostoma variatum), a fish that Jane Argentina studies and coal processing plant right on the river.

Saturday and Sunday I had the opportunity to help Jamie Roberts survey the Smith River above Philpott dam in search of the Roanoke logperch (Percina rex), a state and Federal Endangered species. We only found four but it was great to work in such a nice stream. The river itself is in the Blue ridge physiographic province, and has medium gradient with a mixture of bedrock, cobble, and sand substrate.

Fishes of the New River - Striped Bass and Madtom

Sorry for the delay!




Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) can be found where the New River has been dammed near Radford(Claytor Lake). Claytor Lake is periodically stocked with striped bass, which tend to travel upstream. Striped bass live in schools and prefer large freshwater resevoirs and lakes, and as a result, have been stocked in nearly all of Virginia's resevoirs.

Margined Madtom (Noturus insignis) is native to the New River Drainage Area, but has also been introduced to the various other rivers in Virginia including the Potomac, James, and York. It looks like a small catfish, with a long body and large eye. It prefers mild to moderate sloping creeks and larger rivers.




From:www.cnr.vt.edu/efish/

-Garrett