Press release for the Maury River Restoration in Glasgow. In Virginia, a stretch of river plagued by years of erosion is getting some help. Work has begun on the largest stream restoration project ever undertaken by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). Over 2,100 feet of the Maury River near the town of Glasgow, will be restored and stabilized, greatly reducing sediment deposits and nutrient pollution—both of which harm fish and other aquatic life in the river. The Maury is a major tributary of the James River and the Chesapeake Bay. The expected pollutant reductions from the restored river channel should benefit aquatic habitat for miles downstream and improve the health of the exceptional recreational fisheries of the upper James River, as well as the bay. The stretch of river is located just east of Glasgow immediately upstream from the Route 130 bridge, and approximately a half-mile upstream of its confluence with the James River. The project will involve relocating 2,100 linear feet of the river channel by applying natural stream channel design methodology. The result of the work will be a more stable river with an accessible floodplain and a riparian buffer. “This project is a great example of the power of public/private cooperation to improve the quality of Virginia’s environment. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is to be commended for taking the lead in this important work, which will benefit all Virginians in the form of a cleaner, healthier Chesapeake Bay,” said Molly Ward, Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources. For more than 30 years this section of the Maury River has been experiencing extreme erosion, instability, and migration. It is believed that the stream bank erosion, characterized by 15-foot vertical banks, began after a hydroelectric dam located on the James River less than a mile downstream was breached in 1973 to alleviate flooding concerns for the town of Glasgow, which dropped the base-water level by approximately 9 feet. Subsequent floods in 1986, 1992, 1995, and 1996 accelerated the erosion of the 2,000 linear feet of stream bank located on the Echols Farm. It is estimated that the farm has lost more than 15 acres of farmland since 1973. The project is being funded by a voluntary, private landowner cost-share program administered by the VDGIF. This federally funded program was established to help implement projects that benefit significant aquatic resources impacted by sedimentation. Construction is now underway, and the expected duration will be 6-8 weeks of active construction followed by tree planting in the fall. During construction there will be periodic turbidity in the river near the project site, as well as downstream. Concept Plan for relocating river channel.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:00:41 +0000
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