Posted by Virginia – Batie Creek Restoration Helps to Protect Unique Karst Habitats
Batie Creek was listed on Virginia’s 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. The creek was listed because of low dissolved oxygen levels, caused by inflows of anoxic leachate due to a lumber company’s improper disposal of sawdust. The low dissolved oxygen levels negatively affected a population of endangered cave isopods (a type of crustacean) in Batie Creek’s headwaters. With help from an array of partners, led by the section 319-funded Karst Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage, the company removed and reused most of the decomposing sawdust. Dissolved oxygen levels have rebounded, prompting the removal of Batie Creek from the impaired waters list in 2006. For more information about this success story, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/Success319/state/va_batie.htm
Click on Title link for more information. Thanks to EPA Water Headlines for the submission.
Lake Stewardship 