Newsletter Winter 2013 - Friends of the Rappahannock

 DIRECTOR’S NOTE
 COMMUNITY
SCIENCE & RIVER
TIDAL NEWS
EDUCATION
PAGE 10-11
PAGE 13-14
GET INVOLVED
Do you know
your
stormwater
hydrograph?
PAGE 2
PAGE 3-5
PAGE 6-9
PAGE 15
River Views
Friends of the Rappahannock Newsletter
V O L U M E 20
ISSUE 4
Winter 13/14
Hydraulic fracturing 101: an overview of the facts
Central Virginia’s Taylorsville Basin targeted for natural gas production
By Aimee Delach, FOR Volunteer
epending on who you talk to, hydraulic
fracturing (aka “fracking”) may be
presented as an economic boom, the path to
energy independence, or a fast track to a
polluted watershed. As interest mounts in Virginia’s
own natural gas reserves, it is important that all
residents have a clear understanding of the issue.
D
Put simply, hydraulic fracturing is the process of
injecting water into the ground to extract natural gas
that is trapped within small pores of deeply buried rock.
The water pressure (“hydraulic”) cracks open the rock
(“fracturing”), and small bits of sand injected along
with the water hold the pores open, allowing natural gas
to rise back out of the well. Areas where fracking can
yield natural gas are not distributed evenly across the
landscape.
Like oil and coal, natural gas is a “fossil fuel,” a term
that highlights the great age of these energy sources.
They are the remains of ancient plant material that sank
into swamps or shallow seas, were buried in sediments,
and instead of decomposing normally, were
transformed by time, pressure, and lack of oxygen into
their current forms. In some places, gas and oil collect
into fields that can be drilled conventionally. A large
quantity, however, is bound tightly into the rocks where
Continued on page 7
CONCERNED CITIZENS. Brenda and Bob
Pemberton speak with former delegate to the
Virginia General Assembly and Lancaster County
resident Albert Pollard, center, before a December
fracking workshop in Montross, Va.
Bob is a supervisor-elect for Richmond County.
Director’s Notes
RIVER
VIEWS
Friends of the
Rappahannock
Newsletter
Editors:
Woodie Walker
Rachael Poor
Bryan Hofmann
River Views
is published
quarterly by
Friends of the
Rappahannock
Fredericksburg Office:
3219 Fall Hill
Avenue
Fredericksburg
VA, 22401
Tappahannock Office:
531 N Church Ln,
Offfice B
Tappahannock, VA
22560
www.riverfriends.org
(540) 373-3448
Printed by
Stafford Printing
2707 Jefferson Davis
Highway
Stafford, VA 22554
Staffordprinting.com
(540) 659-4544
A Message from John Tippett
Aimee Delach’s article on hydrofracking paints a clear picture of the issues we face as
the industry moves into the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula portions of the
Rappahannock watershed. The map below shows the leases as of 9/19/2013. Some
84,000 acres of land has been leased for hydrofracking, and that number is expected to
rise to 100,000 acres.
From the perspective of the River and water quality, there
are many unknowns in the fracking equation. First, the
chemical content of the “fracking fluid” that is injected in
the wells is protected under the so-called “Halliburton
Loophole,” which is stunning to say the least. If we are
going to be able to assess the risks to groundwater and
public health, clearly we need to know what is being
pumped into the ground. Most of this fluid is recovered
and trucked away. But it carries not only the fracking
chemicals, but also the high levels of dissolved salts and
low level radioactivity from underground deposits. In
fact, this waste water is so contaminated that it cannot be
treated at regular wastewater treatment plants. Where
will it go?
RED: Acres leased for fracking as of 9/19/13
Another significant question is related to the massive quantities of water required to
“frack” a well, ranging from 200,000 to 2 million gallons each time that well is fracked.
Multiply that times the number of wells that may exist over 100,000 acres, and the water
demand (and tanker traffic) boggles the mind. Where will this water come from? Our
river? If so, how will that affect the salinity regime in the unique tidal freshwater
ecosystem that borders much of the proposed area. Or will it come from groundwater, a
limited resource that is already being measurably depleted. Once these confined aquifers
are tapped out, they are gone for good.
Finally, as Sen. Richard Stuart noted in the Free Lance-Star, there is the question of
contamination of the drinking water aquifers that the well must pass through in order to
reach the shale. A leak in the casement for a well could spell disaster for an aquifer.
What is the possibility of this happening? What is the cost-benefit analysis?
Our role is educating the citizens of the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula to ensure
that if the drilling industry does apply for a permit, they will be fully equipped to
watchdog both the industry and the state regulators to make sure they comply with the
highest levels of environmental protection (See “Fracking Workshops, pg 9”). We are
also planning to start baseline monitoring which will allow us to identify any impacts
attributable to the fracking process.
John P. Tippett
Executive Director
2
Community
UMW students serve their community at FOR headquarters
COAR team is part
of school effort
By Meredith Stone,
FOR Volunteer
Friends of the Rappahannock
supports a number of volunteer
opportunities for people of all
ages, including college
students.
The University of Mary
Washington is the perfect
location to gather such
enthusiastic volunteers.
Community Outreach and
Resources, also known as
COAR, is at the forefront of
UMW’s volunteer efforts.
Especially relevant to FOR is HELPING HANDS. Taylor McConnell, left and Meredith Stone personalize
the Environmental Awareness outreach letters during FOR’s fall membership renewal drive. They are
and Action section of COAR. members of Community Outreach and Resources (COAR), a volunteer
program at UMW. Each week COAR members help FOR with a wide range
With five to seven volunteers, of duties.
the COAR students help FOR
on Wednesday afternoons with activities such as building rain barrels, evaluating sites for river cleanups, and
stuffing envelopes.
Sophomore Taylor McConnell said, “I really enjoy volunteering at FOR because they have such a diversity of tasks
for us to do, all with keeping the Bay in mind.”
The care of the Chesapeake Bay and the Rappahannock River is something very close to the students of UMW,
many of whom call the Bay their home. The COAR volunteers look forward to having fun while doing their part in
the Fredericksburg community for semesters and years to come.
Meredith Stone is a geography major with an environmental sustainability minor. She is the Council Leader of
Environmental Awareness and Action for COAR.
Advocacy
Restoration
Education
Working together for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River
WWW.RIVERFRIENDS.ORG
3
Community
The Rappahannock
Legacy Society celebrates
those individuals who
remember the river in their
will and estate planning.
Benefits include:

Invitations to
exclusive FOR
events

Name engraved
on stepping
stones in the
Legacy Native
Plant Garden




Legacy Society
events (i.e.
Breakfast by the
River)
FOR signed
Legacy Society
Member
certificate
Framed photo
of the
Rappahannock
River
AND a clean and
healthy river
Contact Rachael Poor
(540) 373-3448 x 154
Rachael.Poor@
riverfriends.org
POWERFUL PYRAMID. UMW students display rain barrels they helped build
during “Into the Streets.” Each barrel reduces erosion and pollution from stormwater
Volunteers team up for rain barrel workshop
By Melina Vanchieri, FOR Volunteer
Building rain barrels on a sunny day makes sense (and cents).
Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) and Community Outreach And Resources
(COAR), a student volunteer organization at UMW, spent Oct. 5 on the campus green,
building rain barrels as part of a program called “Into the Streets.” COAR worked with
FOR and Habitat for Humanity to make items to benefit the community.
The event had a pretty big turnout. But why make rain barrels? Every year 34,000
gallons of rain can fall on a 30-foot by 40-foot roof. Just one rain barrel can capture up
to 1,300 gallons of rain, where it can be used for anything from watering flowers to
washing cars. Gathering rainwater has an environmental bonus, because stopping all
that water from rushing into lakes and streams reduces bank erosion and pollution. On
another note, the sale of rain barrels gives FOR an important source of income.
This gathering made a lot of rain barrels, too. According to Bryan Hofmann, Programs
Manager at FOR, “It was the largest rain barrel workshop we’ve ever had. We built 19
rain barrels and it was great to work with awesome groups like COAR and Habitat for
Humanity.”
Melina Vanchieri is an anthropology major with an environmental sustainability minor
at UMW.
4
Community
River Reflections: Have you taken a guided trip yet?
By: Brian Gudmundsson, FOR Member and Volunteer
Not all members may realize that Friends of the Rappahannock organize several guided trips on or near the
Rappahannock and Rapidan each year. The trips serve the purposes of recreation and education.
Each trip centers on an historical or ecological theme. Recent themes have been canal locks, fall colors, and even
the Paw Paw plant. The annual Civil War float on the Rapidan is the probably the most popular. Most trips
involve paddling a canoe or kayak. A few trips are hikes to destinations near the river. Some trips involve both
paddling and a short hike.
Participants in the river safety trip negotiate the river in tubes. June is peak season for trips, but trips are offered as
early as March and occasionally as late as November. They generally last three to seven hours and involve 10-30
participants.
Trips are open to the general public for a reasonable fee with some limitation for age and experience. The fee
varies based on the duration of the trip and cost much less than what a local outfitter would charge. FOR members
receive a discount. All required equipment and safety gear including floatation devices (life vests) are
provided. Participants bring only food, water, and personal items.
FOR publishes a list of trips for the calendar year in March at riverfriends.org and in a hard copy brochure. Keep
an eye out for next year’s list. Book your trip early and get ready for a river experience. Trips fill up fast.
Advocacy
Restoration
Education
Working together for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River
WWW.RIVERFRIENDS.ORG
5
Science & The River
Fishing forecast favorable for fall line region
By Woodie Walker, FOR Membership and Volunteer Coordinator
As winter fades to spring, fisherman of many feathers
congregate at the fall line in Fredericksburg. Bald eagles
and kingfishers join fly rodders, spin casters and bait
chunkers in search of productive water. According to
area scientists, this spring is shaping up to be banner
season for all.
Between the third week of March and the first week of
April, the Rappahannock River is less crowded and the
water level usually higher, said Steve Owens, fisheries
biologist with the Region 4 office of the Virginia
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF).
“The quality of fishing always varies with water flow
and
temperatures,” Owens said, “but I had my best days last
year with a rod and reel
that last part of March.”
Shad, perch and striped
bass are among the first
fish to arrive, moving up
the river to spawn, and
their numbers are
increasing.
Rapidan and the Rappahannock. Another exciting aspect
of this is the increase in eel populations upstream.”
Better fish populations naturally mean better fishing, for
all concerned.
According to Libby Mojica, a wildlife biologist with The
Center For Conservation Biology, part of The College of
William and Mary, several species of waterbirds are also
attracted to the fall line during the spring spawning
season.
“Great-blue herons, osprey and bald eagles will move in
to the fall lines of the major tributaries to catch shad,
herring, catfish and eels,” she said. “The tidal fresh
reaches of the \Rappahannock have some of the highest
nesting productivity for
eagles and osprey because
“The removal of the Embrey Dam has of the abundant fish
populations.”
had a positive impact on fish
populations through Fredericksburg
and above."
Steve Owens, VDGIF fisheries
Owens said shad, striped
bass, blueback herring and
alewife are anadromous,
meaning they move
upstream from salt to fresh
water to spawn. White perch don’t fit that bill exactly,
because they typically stay in more or less the same
range year-round.
“The removal of the Embrey Dam has had a positive
impact on fish populations through Fredericksburg and
above,” said Owens. “We’re seeing more and more shad
in the Fredericksburg area. We have American shad,
Striped bass, also called rockfish, will begin to show at
which locals often refer to as white shad, and hickory
shad. American shad can get up to six or seven pounds, the fall line in early May, just behind the start of the shad
run. “Overall, the Chesapeake Bay population of striped
and hickory shad can weigh two-to-three pounds.”
bass looks very good and that situation extends up into
the Rappahannock,” Owens said.
VDGIF uses electrofishing to sample fish populations
annually, a technique that employs small amounts of
“We’re also collecting juvenile stripers in the Rapidan
electrical current to temporarily stun fish so they can be
River, as far up as Ely’s Ford,” he said. “That area has
counted and measured. Alan Weaver is a fish passage
great habitat for young fish.”
coordinator with VDGIF. He was involved in studies
that led to the dam’s removal in 2004.
Owens added that striped bass are pelagic, or broadcast
spawners, and fertilized eggs are semi-bouyant and need
“All of the target species that we expected to go upabout 40 miles of flowing water to keep them off the
stream, including shad, blueback
river bottom so they can develop. The increased
herring and alewives, are going
upstream access provides just the right amount of freeupstream,” he said. “We also know
flowing water to promote spawning success.
striped bass in the 10-to-20-inch
range are being caught in both the
All in all, the forecast is bright for those who fish along
the fall line of the Rappahannock.
6
Science & The River
Hydraulic fracturing story continued (continued from page 1)
it was originally trapped, generally a coal seam or a
sedimentary rock, called shale.
The main area of interest for gas production in central
Virginia is the Taylorsville shale formation. The
Taylorsville Basin, which starts east of Richmond and
stretches almost to Baltimore, underlays a swath of
Stafford, Caroline, King George, and King William
counties. It is one of a string of basins along the East
Coast that formed 227 million years ago as the Atlantic
Ocean opened and Americas split off from the rest of
the world’s land mass.
Each basin became a productive lake before eventually
filling with sediments that trapped organic matter and
were slowly pressed into shale rock. Now buried almost
10,000 feet below the surface, the basin is estimated to
have a 95% chance of harboring at least 516 billion
cubic feet of gas (bcfg), a 50% chance of 985 bcfg, and
5% chance of as much as 1880 bcfg (or 1.8 trillion).
By contrast, the Marcellus shale formation, which has
launched a gas boom in nearby states, is 400 million
years old and extends through West Virginia,
Pennsylvania, and New York, and has been estimated at
140 trillion cubic feet of gas. The southeast boundary of
that formation underlays the far western part of
Virginia, but to date has been subject to only a single
exploratory well.
One of the most important questions about potential
fracking in the Taylorsville region is whether it can be
done safely, and without contaminating water sources.
Fracking proponents point to the fact that the fracturing
takes place thousands of feet below the water table,
minimizing the chance that injected water and
associated chemicals (which can include acids,
disinfectants, thickeners, and anti-corrosive agents) will
percolate back into groundwater.
Nonetheless, there have been multiple reports in active
gas regions about problems with wells and surface
waters. The Natural Resources Defense Council, for
instance, has compiled anecdotes from a dozen states,
including Virginia.
Hydraulic fracturing is currently in use here, at roughly
1,800 of the 5,600 gas wells in the far southwestern part
of the state. The fracking process in use there is slightly
different, as it is drawing on gas associated with coal
seams rather than shale beds. This process drills to
much shallower depths (about 1,000 feet) and produces
more wastewater at the surface than shale fracking.
Thus, the effects are not entirely comparable.
The reports of water issues associated with shale gas,
like those in the Marcellus wells in Pennsylvania, are
more relevant to people attempting to predict whether
development of the Taylorsville Basin will be
problematic to local water resources, including the
Rappahannock. While the fracturing itself would take
place at great depth, reaching these areas would entail
drilling through areas important for surface and
groundwaters.
As with any industrial process, extreme caution must be
taken to ensure that there is no leakage along the well
bore, or improper handling of fluids, chemical
additives, wastewater, extracted gas and other materials
at the surface.
Sources:
Enomoto, C. B. 2013. Energy Resource Potential of the Mesozoic Basins in
Virginia. http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/commercedocs/OFR_13_01.pdf
FracFocus Chemical Disclosure Registry. http://fracfocus.org/hydraulicfracturing-how-it-works/hydraulic-fracturing-process
Milici, R.C. et al. 2012. Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas
Resources of the East Coast
Mesozoic Basins. USGS. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2012/3075/fs20123075.pdf
Natural Resources Defense Council. Incidents where hydraulic fracturing is
a suspected cause of drinking water contamination. http://
switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amall/incidents_where_hydraulic_frac.html
U.S. Department of Energy. 2012 Annual Energy Outlook. http://
www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/pdf/0383(2012).pdf
Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy. Gas Well Viewer.
https://maps.dmme.virginia.gov/flexviewer/DGO/
Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy. Hydraulic Fracturing
In Virginia. http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/DGO/
HydraulicFracturing.shtml#FracingVA
Advocacy
Restoration
Education
Working together for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River
WWW.RIVERFRIENDS.ORG
7
Science & The River
What is a hydrograph and why does it matter?
By Bryan Hofmann, FOR Programs Manager
A hydrograph is a graph or plot that shows the rate of
water flow in relation to time, given a specific point or
cross section. These graphs are often used to evaluate
stormwater runoff on a particular site considering a
development project.
A natural landscape with no development or impervious
surfaces will have high levels of rainfall abstraction and
produce less runoff due to the vegetation and infiltration
capacity of the soils, which produces a gradually sloped
hydrograph (1). In this scenario, rainwater will meet
multiple obstacles while flowing towards a stream in the
form of rainfall interception by vegetation,
transpiration by plants, evaporation from land surfaces,
infiltration into soils, and ponding of water in surface
depressions.
When the natural landscape is altered by development,
trees and other vegetation are replaced by impervious
surfaces such as roofs, driveways, gutters, and parking
lots. These impervious areas curtail the landscape’s
ability to filter and infiltrate water, and results in higher
peak flows and greater runoff volumes as seen in
hydrograph (2). Stripping the landscape’s ability to
naturally manage stormwater results in increased
erosion, sedimentation, and nutrients
entering our waterways.
existing site conditions. Simple practices, such as
disconnecting a downspout and redirecting runoff into a
lawn or garden, will have positive impacts on a site’s
hydrograph and help prevent pollutants from entering
your local stream.
At the end of the day, little adjustments can help solve
large problems and understanding your hydrograph is
one step towards a cleaner Bay.
So how can we prevent this from happening? Low
Impact Development (LID) is a design strategy that
strives to mimic the pre-existing site hydrology using a
variety of best management practices (BMPs). If a site
planner knows what the hydrograph for a site looked
like prior to development, they can amend their site plan
to accommodate increased runoff onsite using practices
such as rain gardens and bio-swales. This will produce
hydrograph (3).
What if my home is already built? LID can be used in
redevelopment or retrofit
applications as well. For
previously developed sites, best
management practices can be
installed within the confines of
8
Redirecting runoff is a cost-effective way to protect
waterways.
Science & The River
Fracking workshops focus on ownership issues
By Megan Gallagher
Friends of the Rappahannock and local partners
co-sponsored two workshops recently for landowners
considering leasing or who have already leased their land
for gas or oil drilling. The events took place Dec. 11 in
Bowling Green and Dec. 12 in Westmoreland County.
Elected officials and members of the public were also
invited to learn about landowner rights and the impacts
of gas development.
As of July 2013, 84,000 acres had been leased in five
counties in the Taylorsville Basin shale deposit just
south of Fredericksburg: Caroline (40,733 acres), Essex
(13,338 acres), King & Queen (6,010 acres), King
George (10,443 acres) and Westmoreland (13,864 acres).
corporate accountability and gas regulations. It was an
opportunity to learn about the leasing process, industry
tactics and what gas or oil development means for you,
your neighbors and community. The featured speaker
was Gwen Lachelt, County Commissioner in La Plata
County, Colorado, where there is significant
hydrofracturing for shale gas.
Lachelt began her work on oil and gas issues in 1988 in
La Plata County. She is the founder and director of
Earthworks' Oil & Gas Accountability Project.
Megan Gallagher lives in The Plains, Va., and is an advisor to the Shenandoah Valley Network of conservation
groups.
The workshops featured experts in mineral leasing,
Know your rights before signing a mining lease
By Rick Parrish
Landowners considering whether to lease their gas rights
to a drilling company should be aware of both the
promises and the perils, and the option of negotiating a
better agreement than that contained in the form or
model lease you may be asked to sign. Your most
important right is the right not to sign a lease with which
you are not satisfied.
The pay-off may not be as great as you expect, after
expenses are deducted from your standard 12% share of
the royalties. Pro Publica, an independent, non-profit
newsroom, recently wrote about this. Landowners in
Pennsylvania found it to their advantage to join together
to negotiate as a group with the company.
In addition to the water well, associated wastewater
ponds, gravel roads, pipelines and pumping stations that
could be built on your land, there could be tons and tons
of waste rock from the well drilling, called "cuttings,"
which could be spread out and left on your land. There's
a recent West Virginia case about this, upholding the
drilling company's right to do this.
Other issues to watch for in your lease include liability
for offsite pollution, reclamation of surface disturbances
and the location of pump stations and hours of operation.
Finally, that six or seven-year lease you are thinking
about signing is typically renewable or extendable at the
company's discretion. It could turn into a 30 or 40-year
lease, whether you want it to or not.
Please study any proposed lease carefully. And consult
with an attorney who is knowledgeable about oil and gas
leases before you do sign. For more general information,
the West Virginia Surface Owners' Rights Organization
has a good website to explore: www.wvsoro.org.
Here’s a link to the full Pro Publica article:
http://www.propublica.org/article/unfair-share-how-oiland-gas-drillers-avoid-paying-royalties)
Rick Parrish is a senior attorney with the Southern
Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville, Va.
Advocacy
Restoration
Education
Working together for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River
WWW.RIVERFRIENDS.ORG
9
Tidal News
Where did all the blue crabs go?
By Richard Moncure, FOR Tidal River Steward
Save the Crabs! Then Eat ‘Em.
That’s the slogan for the Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) outreach
program helping homeowners in the watershed reduce the amount of
excess lawn fertilizers that can run off into the river, fueling algal blooms
and low-oxygen “dead zones.”
In September, we enjoyed the fruits of our effort. Over one thousand
friends joined together to celebrate FOR’s 23rd annual Riverfest. The
fare, of course, was boat loads of steamed crabs. Table talk centered
around the year’s poor crab harvest in the Chesapeake Bay. A limited
local supply of crabs drove prices far above expectations for our
non-profit’s annual fundraiser. This news came on the heels of a
promising 2012 harvest, the best in decades. So, what happened to all the
blue crabs we saved?
As it turns out, we aren’t the only river friends that enjoy blue crabs. In
the Rappahannock, crabs pass a gauntlet of predators including catfish,
striped bass, red drum, and blue heron. In centuries past, the Rappahannock’s shorelines provided wetland habitat
and protection for blue crabs, which are especially vulnerable through the molting stages.
Comments from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources suggest that with all of the predation pressures, and
a continued loss of wetland habitat, last year’s bumper crop of juvenile Chesapeake Bay blue crabs are turning to
cannibalism to survive. According to their scientists, this is an event known as “density-dependent mortality.”
Our river system is in a delicate balance.
Populations are not supported without the
necessary habitat. In Virginia, we continue to
construct hardened shorelines at a total annual
average rate of 18 miles.
When we remove wetland habitat for bulkheads
or rip-rap, we sever the shoreline at a critical
point of the inter-tidal zone. Living shorelines
are a “softer” approach to shoreline erosion
problems. Wetland grasses hold together
shoreline soils, and, when planted properly, 15
feet of these grasses can reduce wave energy by
50%.
© Kai Harth
For more information about creating backyard
habitat for blue crabs with living shorelines, or our “Save the Crabs!” campaign, check out our programs at
www.riverfriends.org.
So, while we need to “Save the Crabs!” we’ll also need to give them a place to live before we
eat ‘em. The consensus from Riverfest 2013 tells me, it’ll be worth all the effort!
10
Tidal News
RAIN
BARRELS

Reduce
stormwater
runoff

Conserve water

Save up to
1,300 gallons of
water in
summer
months

$75 per barrel

Members
receive 20%
discount

Workshops
held every third
Wednesday
from March to
October

Order or
register for a
workshop by
calling
540-373-3448 or
online at
riverfriends.org
SAFETY FIRST! West Point High School senior Paige Melton suits up
for oyster-shucking lessons from Eugene Ware, a waterman supported by
the Oyster Company of Virginia and the Oysters For Life program. Melton
was among the attendees of a November “From the Rappahannock, For the
Rappahannock” event in Topping. Friends of the Rappahannock is a partner in the program and for a one-time fee of $175 participants can help restore the native Virginia oyster, the health of the Rappahannock River, the
waterman’s future and receive two dozens oysters for 10 years. For more
information check out the FOR website, www.riverfriends.org
Advocacy
Restoration
Education
Working together for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River
WWW.RIVERFRIENDS.ORG
11
SOARING EAGLES SERVING ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK. Students and staff from Colonial Forge High
School in Stafford County were among the more than 200 volunteers who participated in the Fall River
Cleanup at Old Mill Park in Fredericksburg. More than 1.5 tons of litter were picked up that day. The most
Participants learn and serve while cleaning up the Rapp!
By Bryan Hofmann, FOR Programs Manager
Once again, community members showcased their love
and commitment to our wonderful river. On Oct. 19,
over 230 volunteers donated their Saturday and joined
Friends of the Rappahannock and Stafford High School
Learn and Serve Students for our Fall River Cleanup.
Twice every year, FOR and partners host a river
cleanup in the Fredericksburg area and a tidal cleanup
out of our Tappahannock office. This year, 25 students
from Stafford High School accepted the challenge of
planning and staffing the cleanup. Whether it was
manning the cotton candy machine, checking in
volunteers, or delivering the safety talk, these students
were on their game!
three counties. What was the result of this cleanup?
Over 3,300 pounds of trash was taken out of the river.
Our friends and partners at the R-Board, our local solid
waste manager, not only donated an enormous dumpster
and hauled the trash away, they also provided their
mobile landfill trailer to help educate volunteers about
the importance of proper waste management. All this
work is to keep the Rappahannock as healthy and scenic
as possible. Make sure you look for our Spring
Cleanup in April 2014.
This year we welcomed volunteers from all walks of
life including groups of local students, Boy and Girl
Scouts, GEICO, Crops Solutions, Birchwood Power
Facility, Starbucks, and for the reeeaally yucky stuff…
Vulcan Materials!
These amazing volunteers visited
27 sites along the Rappahannock
River and its tributaries spanning
Vulcan Materials wins the award for largest single
piece of trash!
12
Education
Education Update: Teachers Make It Possible!
By Daria Blom, FOR Education Director
Classroom teachers are one of our best resources when it comes to watershed
education! It would be impossible for the FOR education staff to personally reach
every single student in the Rappahannock watershed, so we rely on classroom
teachers to help us do the job. Our local teachers take this responsibility very
seriously.
One such teacher is Ms. Katie Gnadt of Drew Middle School. I have been working
with Ms. Gnadt for the past four years as part of a large watershed-focused field
experience she plans for all of her seventh graders. The experience takes place at
multiple sites along the Rappahannock, including FOR’s nature preserve, and
includes several
natural resource
agencies, such as the
Department of Game
and Inland Fisheries.
Katie Gnadt
Beyond all the logistical planning and class work
preparation, Ms. Gnadt also secures funding through
small grants to make the program more affordable for
her students. This year she is applying for an
“Innovative Teaching Grant” through the Stafford
Education Foundation. She hopes to use the grant to
add a historical component to the field experience,
making it even more interdisciplinary.
Seventh graders from Drew Middle School in Stafford
County explore wetlands biology.
We enjoy working with students from Drew and
appreciate Ms. Gnadt’s dedication to watershed
education!
If you are interested in
protecting the Rappahannock from
polluted runoff, FOR can help! Visit
our website to learn more.
www.riverfriends.org
Advocacy
Restoration
Education
Working together for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River
WWW.RIVERFRIENDS.ORG
13
Education
A river runs through us: Make-a-Mural
By FOR Education Coordinator Lowery Pemberton and Alice French
Sixth graders at Richmond County Intermediate School
officially began their Meaningful Watershed Educational
Experience (MWEE) this fall with participating
organizations from the Three Rivers Environmental
Educators group.
The first lesson was provided by Alice French from the
Menokin Foundation, an organization whose mission is
to preserve and interpret the home and life of patriot
Francis Lightfoot Lee, as a focus for better understanding the fields of history, architecture, archaeology,
of the six areas to paint. As the day progressed, all of the
different areas of the watershed were represented.
The mural can now be seen in the 6th grade building at
RCIS. Special thanks go to the Chesapeake Bay Trust for
providing the organizational funding for A River Runs
Through Us!
ecology and other areas of the humanities, by developing
innovative scholarship and new practices in conservation.
The students participated in a Project WET activity
called Make-a-Mural. In this activity, students created a
mural depicting various aspects of the watershed in
which they live, including its landscape, people, cultures
and plant and animal residents.
Students identified many resources found within the
Rappahannock River watershed and categorized them
WATERSHED ART. This mural was created by
into six sections: air, land, water, architecture, people,
history and traditions. Each class was then given one part students from Richmond County Intermediate
School.
Updates on
volunteer
opportunities!
Veteran educator joins FOR staff
Elysa Mills has joined Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) as an environmental
educator. As a high school student, Elysa participated in many outdoor
programs in the Fredericksburg area, including river monitoring, tree plantings
and education expeditions, which helped her find the field of environmental
science.
An internship with FOR during college solidified her decision to work in the
environmental field, receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of
Virginia in environmental science and a master's degree in environmental and
biological conservation.
Elysa Mills
14
Elysa spent several years working for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as an
environmental educator and island program manager at their Eastern Shore site,
The Karen Noonan Center. She returned to her Spotsylvania roots this spring
and has returned to FOR to help create a healthy and scenic Rappahannock
River.
Get Involved
Welcome New Members!
THANK YOU for Supporting our
River Protection Programs!
LIFETIME
FAMILY
Robert C. Innes
Jerry and Sandra Nini
Thomas J. Wack and
Ann Sears
The Ogden Family
The McDaniel Family
The Stanley Family
The Neubig Family
The Stringer Family
The Moratore Family
The Burks Family
MONTHLY SUSTAINER
Stanley Ikonen
Charles E. and Sarah F. Lex
Peter and Maire Frederick
RIVER STEWARD
Virginia P. Cowles
Stewart Pillow
Raymond J. Heatherton
Joseph M. Holloway
Patricia Giraldi
INDIVIDUAL
Norton W. Hurd
Kara Perusse
David W. Burgess
Drew Chritton
Interested in a Rainscape Retrofit
at your home? Give us a call or
visit our website for more
information!
www.riverfriends.org
HARD WORKERS! Laura Shoaf and her
daughter, Ellie, volunteered during the 2013 Fall
River Cleanup in Fredericksburg.
YES! I want to become a FRIEND OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK!
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Advocacy
Restoration
Education
Working together for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River
WWW.RIVERFRIENDS.ORG
15
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
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PAID
FREDERICKSBURG, VA
PERMIT NO. 234
Fredericksburg Office
3219 Fall Hill Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
540.373.3448
540.373.8111 fax
Tidal Office
531 N Church Ln Office B
Tappahannock, VA 22560
804.443.3448
804.443.3447 fax
info@riverfriends.org
www.riverfriends.org
FUNGUS FROLIC. Volunteers
Justin Presson, left, and Cynthia
Stanley use an industrial-strength
blender to mix mycelium from
native mushrooms with straw and
wood pellets. The resulting blend is
stuffed into large burlap bags,
which are staked down in eroded
and nutrient-poor riparian areas.
The mushroom and compost blend
enhances the soil, making it easier
for tree seedlings to take root. The
project is part of Watershed
Property Manager and
Fredericksburg Police Officer Lee
Sillitoe’s efforts to restore s
horelines in the city easement area
along the Rappahannock River.
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it."
Norman Maclean