TDML Plan

In 2006, the VT Biological Systems Engineering department, VA Water Resources Research Center, VA Department of Environmental Quality, and VA Department of Conservation and Recreation worked together to create a TDML Implementation Plan for the Upper Stroubles Creek Watershed. The upper portion of the Stroubles Creek watershed is mostly located in Blacksburg and on the VT campus, but some of it is outside of city limits in Montgomery County, as shown in the map below.

Taken from: http://www.tmdl.bse.vt.edu/outreach/C83/

TDMLs are total daily maximum loads of pollutants that a waterway can handle and still be healthy (aquatic life). These plans can be very dense and technical, but they are very useful when trying to reduce non-point source pollution to make an impaired stream healthier. The VA DEQ created a flier/fact sheet about Stroubles Creek and its TDML plan. It is very informative and to the point, so if you're not comfortable with the entire plan or you just want some basic information about the watershed and its plan, you should definitely check it out!  Stroubles Creek TDML Flier

At the bottom of the flier, there is a link to the entire TDML plan with contact information. However, that link is no longer active, so here is the link for the final implementation plan document if you'd like to read the specifics. Implementation Plan Link

Campus Photos of Stroubles Creek

When I was on campus looking for tree species, I thought I would take a few pictures of Stroubles Creek near the Duck Pond. Blacksburg and VT have made an effort to keep Stroubles clean, so you will often see signage of some sort related to Stroubles if you walk around the area.

These little guys are all over downtown Blacksburg and the VT campus. They are located directly in the concrete above storm water drains. I've seen versions of these in other locations too, that are just painted on. I really like this style because it's not paint, so it won't fade away. They really catch your eye when you're walking along. If you're not from this area, you may not realize that Stroubles Creek runs beneath the campus and downtown Blacksburg, so it's a great way to catch pedestrian attention.

Informative Video about Stroubles Creek

Here is an informative video created by Jed Grubbs and Leslie Tate for the Urban and Regional Planning department at VT. The video discusses the history and future of Stroubles Creek and provides photos of Stroubles Creek beneath downtown Blacksburg. Very interesting!

This video can also be found on Vimeo.

VT Campus Tree Inventory

A few years ago the Forestry Department at VT conducted a tree inventory on campus. Since the entire campus falls within the Stroubles Creek Watershed boundary, this information could be very useful. I provided some common species within the watershed, but this will give you an idea of how many trees are on campus and where they are actually located.

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/campus_trees/welcome.html

Stadium Woods

Stadium Woods is an old growth forest located on the VT campus near Lane Stadium. In 2010, VT began discussing plans to remove a portion of the Woods to build a new indoor athletics practice facility for the football team. This discussion did not go over well with the VT and Blacksburg communities and gained a lot of press. In response to this opposition, environmental studies were conducted on the Woods, and VT created a Management Plan Committee to explore alternative options. Additionally, Friends of Stadium Woods (check out their website and blog under Related Sites and Blogs) created a petition to save Stadium Woods, as well as other events to help save the Woods.

This past spring I took an Urban Forestry class, and we conducted our own study on Stadium Woods. As a class, we visited the Woods and took different measurements and observations in sample plot locations. We then used the i-Tree Eco tool created by the USDA US Forest Service to determine the ecosystem services provided by Stadium Woods. It was my job to create the final report, which will be submitted to the Stadium Woods Management Plan Committee. Here is a copy of that report: Stadium Woods Report

As of now, Stadium Woods is protected from development of an athletics practice facility, but the Woods have not been permanently protected from future development. Stadium Woods provides many ecosystem services in the Stroubles Creek Watershed.  If this forest is ever removed, these services will be lost, and it is likely that more impervious services will be added to the watershed, which could impact the current impairment of Stroubles Creek.

Common Trees in the Stroubles Creek Watershed

It can be very useful to know and understand the trees around you, so I went searching the VT campus looking for common tree species that are found within the Stroubles Creek Watershed. Many of these trees are native, but there are some non-native and/or invasive species within the watershed as well. This is likely due to the fact that the watershed is in an urban area, so many of the original trees were removed to allow for development. Because the watershed is mostly comprised of an urban forest (street trees, park trees, and private trees), you may notice many ornamental trees if you explore the area. Additionally, the old growth forest commonly known as Stadium Woods located on the VT campus is located within the watershed, so I will post some additional information on Stadium Woods in another post.

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

 

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link 

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

   

non-native, non-invasive

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

non-native, invasive

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

VTDendrology Fact Sheet Link

Stroubles Creek Watershed

I am a graduate student studying Urban and Regional Planning and Natural Resources Management at Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus.

Blacksburg, VA and the Virginia Tech campus sit right in the middle of the Stroubles Creek Watershed. I first became interested in this watershed last fall when I was working in a Soil Chemistry Lab on campus with a PhD student that was conducting an experiment in the watershed. When we were taking soil samples one day, other students from another department joined us. I learned that several studies were being conducted within the watershed at that time, and it was studied by several departments on campus and had been for many years. 

When you search for information about the Stroubles Creek Watershed, there are several sources you can choose from, including the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, various departments within Virginia Tech, and the Town of Blacksburg. However, all of the information cannot be attained from one single source. That is my goal for this blog: to provide an aggregate of information about the Stroubles Creek Watershed.

Taken from: http://www.bse.vt.edu/site/streamlab/watershed-information/watershed-info.html