CHARLESTON, W.Va. (June 30, 2021) – Staff scientists from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Watershed Assessment Branch started monitoring select streams in the Cacapon River Watershed this week. The monitoring will continue for approximately one year.
The data collected will be used to assess water quality and determine if restoration plans, known as Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), are needed. The WVDEP is required to develop TMDLs for impaired waters. Known impairments for the Cacapon River are for the narrative criteria, conditions now allowable for aquatic life and for filamentous algae.
The monitoring effort in the Cacapon River will address impairments currently identified on the WVDEP Section 303(d) list and newly identified through data collection. To develop TMDLs, the agency relies on the data collected from the streams, in addition to information about potential sources of pollution. Local stakeholders can support this effort by providing information about potential pollutant sources.
To learn more about impaired streams, TMDLs, monitoring, and how to contribute information or ask questions, please visit the WVDEP TMDL StoryMap:
https://arcg.is/09a85L
For more WVDEP news and information, go to www.dep.wv.gov. Also, connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter, Like us on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/depwv/, and find us on YouTube by searching “Environment Matters.”
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