URBANIZATION AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IN THE UPPER STROUBLES CREEK WATERSHED Tammy E. Parece, Doctoral Student, Geospatial and Environmental Analysis Ph.D. Program, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University & Tamim Younos, Research Director for Environmental Sustainability Programs, The Cabell Brand Center for Global Poverty and Resource Sustainability Studies

A b s t r a c t . Urbanization, even within a small municipality the size of the Town of Blacksburg, U r b a n i z a t i o n ' s I m p a c t s o n t h e S t r e a m C h a n n e l . With the increases in population and Virginia Impact on water quality. Virginia, creates stormwater management difficulties. These difficulties include flooding, water Tech Enrollment, the USC has experience land-use changes from development to meet the needs Researchers began studying Stroubles Creek as early as quality degradation, and depressed watershed functioning such as limited groundwater recharge of the residents and university students. Two major changes on the University's campus were 1914 when Sutton studying the stream, discovered a high and loss of habitat. construction of the University's drillfield while culverting the stream underground and daming of bacteria count which he attributed to livestock, agricultural the Webb and Main Branches of the stream to create the Duck Pond (Figure 5). Throughout the runoff, mining activities, and human waste. While unable to The Upper Stroubles Creek Watershed (USC) located in Blacksburg was first settled by the Drapers town, many sections of the stream were culverted underground (Figure 6), including the original document the specific locations of his testing, studies since Meadow Community in 1740. Since that time, land development and urbanization has intensified springs (Figure 7). Figure 8 compares the stream's channel above ground in 1963 with those then are very specific and are mapped in Figure 14. These and continues to this date. At present about 96% of the USC watershed is characterized as urban remnants left above ground (or daylighted) by 2005. research studies covered different parameters and varying land use. The adverse impact of urbanization on the USC Watershed has been recognized for locations throughout the watershed. For instance: 1) Taft almost a century. Research and water quality studies dating back to 1914 have documented the (1949) analyzed chemical parameters such as dissolved watershed’s land use change and gradual degradation. Despite early research documentation oxygen (DO) and pH before and after the construction of a and known water quality problems, the continued intensification of urbanization has resulted in new sewage treatment plant, 2) Hayles (1973) studied Stroubles Creek being placed on the TMDL list of impaired waters due to sediment input/biological chemical parameters, and 3) testing, by various researchers, degradation and bacterial contamination. based on Virginia Save our Streams (VA SOS) benthic macro-invertebrate parameters from 1992 - to the present. Since the watershed has been monitored for 100 years, this poster provides a birds-eye view of DF the history of the watershed’s development since 1914, along with the current state of the Figure 6. Culverted underground Progress St. at the Rescue Squad Some of these reports are available in the Figure 14. Location of Testing watershed from long-term water quality data and using geospatial analysis. It also presents the Newman Library, but many are unpublished. The Sites, 1949 - present watershed restoration plans by the Town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech for alleviating the DP documentation in our special report is by no means a complete bibliography of Stroubles Creek adverse effects of the continuing intensification of urbanization. research as many additional unpublished reports are likely available in various academic departments at Virginia Tech. B a c k g r o u n d . Stroubles Creek is a freshwater second order stream flowing15 kilometers from the Figure 5. 1937 Aerial Photo showing Duck Pond (DP) and Drillfield (DF) Town of Blacksburg, through Virginia Tech’s campus, and then into the New River (Figure 1). The Two Specific Projects New River flows north to the , which in turn flows to the . The Ohio River merges into the . The 14,336 acre Stroubles Creek watershed (VAW-N22R) is a Figure 8. Daylight Sections, In “Biological and Physiochemical sub-watershed of the New River Watershed. Figure 7. Spout Spring 1963 & 2005 Assessment of Stroubles Creek: Winter Conditions,” Crawford and Duck Pond Dam Younos analyzed stream quality Stroubles Creek U r b a n i z a t i o n s I m p a c t o n L a n d C o v e r a n d L a n d U s e . Using remote sensing and aerial photo Virginia Tech parameters at six different sites Upper Stroubles Creek Watershed interpretation analyses, land cover changes were analyzed from 1937 to 2008. In Figure 9, the Blacksburg Corporate Limts resulting from land use changes, Lower Stroubles Creek Watershed 1937 land cover was differentiated between water, agriculture and urban, with the major land cover ¯ as agriculture. In Figure 10, the 2008 land cover is differentiated between water, agriculture, urban, using an average for the month Figure 15. Chemical Parameters, Figure 16. E-coli and 0 0.7 1.4 2002 Fecal Coliform, 2002 Kilometers and forest, the major land cover as urban. Comparing the two Figures, it is apparent that the land of March 2002. Figure 15 cover changed signficantly from agriculture to urban over this 70 year time span. documents the chemical parameters and Figure16 shows E-coli and fecal coliform levels. DO was similar at most sites, slightly less at Site 2. Conductivity and pH varied similarly from site to site. Total suspended solids (TSS) appeared to be inversely related to conductivity. E-coli and fecal coliform were high at all sites, except site 1, where conductivity was the highest.

0 100 200 Blacksburg High School students, led by Ms. Patricia Colatosti - AP Environmental Science Kilometers teacher, tested 4 locations within USC over a three year period, 2007- 2009. The results at two of those locations are depicted in Figures 17, 18, and 19. These Figures show similar Figure 1. Stroubles Creek Reference Map findings as the 2002 study with high termperatures, pH, DO, E-coli and fecal coliform. Stroubles Creek’s streambed is composed of alluvial-floodplain deposits of stratified unconsolidated silt, clay and sand with lenses and beds of cobbles and pebbles. The watershed is classified by dolomite and limestone formations, sink holes, and natural springs. Land use in the entire Stroubles Creek watershed today is 40% forest, 29% agriculture, 19% urban, 12 % unknown, and 0.24% water. Figure 9. 1937 Land cover from Figure 10. 2008 Land cover from aerial photo interpretation aerial photo interpretation

The watershed is divided into two sections, the upper and lower watersheds (Figure 1). The dam Table 1. Land cover by Year and Acreage Table 1 provides information on the total number of acres for each land cover type for the years 1937, 1971, 2000, at the lower portion of VirginiaTech’s Duck Pond acts as the line of demarcation for the two Year Urban Agriculture Forest Open Water Figure 17. Blacksburg HS. Figure 18. Blacksburg HS. Figure 19. Blacksburg HS. Chemical & BiologicalParameters sections (Figure 2). 1937 459 1508 0 8 and 2008, as calculated from aerial photo interpretation. Chemical & BiologicalParameters Physical Parameters 1971 1348 597 24 7 In addition, Figure 11 shows the portion of land cover as total land cover for 1937 and Figure 12 shows this for Stroubles Creek has been experiencing anthropocentric changes since it was first settled in 1740 2000 1815 118 35 8 2008. These additional figures further confirm that Future of the Watershed by the Draper’s Meadow Community. This area was chosen for settlement because of fertile land 2008 1900 40 30 9 In 1998, the DEQ classified lower Stroubles Creek as benthically impaired. In 2002, the stream located on the plateau between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains. The three springs urbanization has intensified over the past 70 years. was included in the total maximum daily load (TMDL) list of impaired waters (303d list). A TMDL feeding Stroubles Creek provided a vital water source for the community. By 1798, this pristine study of the impaired segment completed in 2003 identified sediment and nutrients as major land became the Town of Blacksburg – a sixteen block 38- acre square grid. In 1872, Virginia's first causes of impairment. Sediment mostly land grant college was established, now know as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. originates from upper watershed urban The college grew independently from Blacksburg but was to become the driving force behind stormwater runoff. In 2006, a TMDL urbanization in the town. An increase in population after World War II caused an influx in both town Urban Urban Agriculture Agriculture implementation plan (IP) for the Stroubles population and University enrollment, and increases in Town population even to this date mirror Forest Forest Open Water Open Water Creek was completed. The TMDL IP increasing enrollment at the University (Figure 3). As the population of the Town and University identified critical areas in the watershed enrollment increased, the Town’s boundaries also grew, eventually encompassing the entire that cause water quality impairments and Virginia Tech Campus. In 1798, the Town was 38 acres and with the last expansion, in 2004, the proposed several watershed restoration Town comprised 12,606 acres (Figure 4). strategies. At present, several watershed 0 1 2 Figure 11. 1937 Land Cover Kilometers Figure 12. 2008 Land Cover restoration projects are underway, by as portion of total ¯ as portion of total Virginia Tech faculty and students and the Town of Blacksburg. For Example - The most current imagery used in this analysis (2008) is "out--of-date" Figure 20, titled Green Connections by because building and parking lot construction has occurred to Joseph Hutson in Landscape Architecture. accomodate rising student population and expanding academic needs on Virginia Tech's campus. In addition, one of the last remnants of Figure 20. Green Connections by Joseph Hutson, 2008 agricultural areas in the eastern, southeastern, area of Blacksburg (see

1798 Figure 10) is being developed for a housing complex called Fiddler's 1921 Green (Figure 13). This area does, however, contain a 32 acre Reference 1935 This poster was drawn from the research and geospatial analysis completed for 1957 1973 conservation easement, (negotiated by the Town in 1991) and the The Stroubles Creek Watershed: History of Development and Chronicles of Research. 1998 Figure 2. Duck Pond Dam Figure 3. Town Population & Virginia 2001 current homeowner has plans for an organic farm and a small lake. VWRRC SR48-2010. Tech Enrollment 2004 Virginia Tech Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA: http://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/special_reports.html Figure 4. Town Boundaries, 1798 - present For complete information on all references and data origins, please see this special report. Figure 13. Fiddler's Green