Archived data is current to December 31, 2014.
Monitoring Sites:
1. Maury at Swinging Bridge
2. Maury at Alone Mill
3. Maury at Ben Salem
4. Mouse Run
5. Hays Creek at RT 39
5B. Walkers Creek
6. Brattons Run
7. South River below Big Mary
8. South River at Cornwall
9. Kerrs Creek at Stillhouse
10. Buffalo Creek at Zollman’s
11. Woods Creek above Sarahs Run
12. Woods Creek at RT 60
13. Whistle Creek at RT 60
14. Buffalo Creek (Kygers Hill)
15. Calfpasture at Maury
16. South Buffalo Creek
RACC #: 1
VA SOS site name: C
VA SOS stream: Maury River
RACC site name: Swinging Bridge/Maury
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Apr 2001: 8
Sep 2004: 12
Sep 2006: 9
Sep 2009: 9
May 2010: 10
Apr 2011: 9
Aug 2011: 12
average score: 9.86
count: 7
Watershed characteristics-
Area (square miles): 318
Land cover in 2011
% Developed: 4.1
% Pasture: 7.5
% Cultivated cropland: 0.24
% Forest: 87
% Other natural: 0.75
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.40
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.30
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 2.45
Buffer strength (0-100): 80
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 2.9
dolomite (%): 4.3
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 2
VA SOS site name: 13-JU74-Mau-2
VA SOS stream: Maury River
RACC site name: Alone Mill/Maury
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Dec 2001: 10
Mar 2002: 8
Jun 2002: 7
Dec 2002: 8
Mar 2003: 6
Jul 2003: 10
Mar 2004: 11
Jun 2004: 8
Sep 2004: 11
Jun 2005: 10
Oct 2005: 9
Mar 2006: 9
Jun 2006: 9
Dec 2006: 8
Jun 2008: 7
Oct 2009: 8
May 2010: 11
Average score: 8.82
Count: 17
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 442 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)
% Developed: 4.4
% Pasture: 17
% Cultivated cropland: 0.45
% Forest: 78
% Other natural: 0.67
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.32
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.34
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 1.8
Buffer strength (0-100): 71
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 7.9
dolomite (%): 15
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 3
VA SOS site name: 2
VA SOS stream: Maury River
RACC site name: Ben Salem/Maury
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Dec 2001: 7
Apr 2002: 7
Jun 2002: 9
Feb 2003: 7
Jul 2003: 10
Jan 2004: 9
Jun 2008: 7
Oct 2009: 8
May 2010: 11
Aug 2010: 9
Dec 2012: 6
Sep 2013: 7
Jul 2014: 9
Average score: 8.15
Count: 13
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 646 square miles
Estimated stream length: 2513 miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 6.4
% Pasture: 19
% Cultivated cropland: 0.61
% Forest: 73
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.32
% Other natural: 0.64
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.84
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 5.6
Buffer strength (0-100): 67
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 11
dolomite (%): 26
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 4
VA SOS site name: 13-JU74-Mou-12-MOU-01
VA SOS stream: Mouse Run
RACC site name: Mouse Run
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Sep 2012: 12
Dec 2012: 12
Mar 2013: 9
Jun 2013: 11
Sep 2013: 11
Jan 2014: 10
Jun 2014: 11
Oct 2014: 12
Average score: 11.0
Count: 8
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 1.0 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 7.6
% Pasture: 28
% Cultivated cropland: 0.13
% Forest: 64
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: -1.2
% Other natural: 0
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.79
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 0.0
Buffer strength (0-100): 53
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 6.7
dolomite (%): 82
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 5
VA SOS site name: ???
VA SOS stream: ???
RACC site name: Hays Creek Route 39
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Apr 2001: 11
Aug 2001: 12
Apr 2002: 12
Oct 2004: 11
Average score: 11.5
Count: 4
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 80 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 4.8
% Pasture: 43
% Cultivated cropland: 0.98
% Forest: 51
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: -0.16
% Other natural: 0.12
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.37
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 0.055
Buffer strength (0-100): 41
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 22
dolomite (%): 60
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 5B
VA SOS site name: 13-JU72-Wal-walkers creek 5B
VA SOS stream: Walkers Creek
RACC site name: Walkers Creek
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Oct 2010: 11
Oct 2012: 10
Jan 2013: 12
Average score: 11
Count: 3
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 15 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 4.5
% Pasture: 26
% Cultivated cropland: 0
% Forest: 70
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.30
% Other natural: 0.050
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.30
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 0.0
Buffer strength (0-100): 60
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 44
dolomite (%): 24
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 6
VA SOS site name: 13-JU67-Bra-6
VA SOS stream: Brattons Run
RACC site name: Brattons Run
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Dec 2001: 8
Mar 2002: 10
Nov 2002: 10
Mar 2004: 6
Jul 2004: 12
Oct 2004: 11
Apr 2005: 9
Sep 2005: 11
Mar 2006: 7
Jun 2006: 10
Mar 2007: 8
Aug 2007: 11
Nov 2007: 11
Apr 2008: 10
Aug 2008: 11
Feb 2009: 12
Aug 2009: 11
Nov 2009: 12
May 2010: 11
Oct 2010: 11
Mar 2011: 6
Jul 2011: 11
Oct 2011: 10
Feb 2012: 9
Sep 2012: 11
Jan 2013: 11
Sep 2014: 9
Dec 2014: 11
Average score: 10
Count: 28
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 20 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 4.6
% Pasture: 1.4
% Cultivated cropland: 0
% Forest: 94
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.11
% Other natural: 0.19
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.29
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 1.7
Buffer strength (0-100): 93
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 5.1
dolomite (%): 4.3
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 7
VA SOS site name: ???
VA SOS stream: ???
RACC site name: South River below Big Marys
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Jan 2002: 11
Mar 2002: 9
Jul 2002: 12
Sep 2002: 7
Dec 2002: 6
Average score: 9.0
Count: 5
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 41 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 5.3
% Pasture: 14
% Cultivated cropland: 1.8
% Forest: 78
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.14
% Other natural: 0.41
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.63
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 5.4
Buffer strength (0-100): 69
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 2.7
dolomite (%): 28
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 8
VA SOS site name: 13-JU80-Sou-8 (Cornwall)
VA SOS stream: South River
RACC site name: South River/Cornwall
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Dec 2001: 9
Jun 2002: 10
Dec 2002: 9
Jun 2003: 6
Dec 2003: 10
Dec 2012: 8
Average score: 8.67
Count: 6
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 99 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 6.4
% Pasture: 17
% Cultivated cropland: 1.7
% Forest: 74
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.47
% Other natural: 0.41
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.85
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 3.7
Buffer strength (0-100): 68
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 2.8
dolomite (%): 31
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 9
VA SOS site name: 9
VA SOS stream: Kerrs Creek
RACC site name: Kerrs Creek/Stillhouse
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Oct 2002: 7
Mar 2003: 9
Nov 2003: 10
Feb 2004: 9
Aug 2005: 7
Mar 2006: 11
Jan 2007: 8
Jul 2010: 8
Apr 2011: 10
Jul 2011: 8
Average score: 8.7
Count: 10
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 21 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 7.9
% Pasture: 14
% Cultivated cropland: 0.18
% Forest: 77 % Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: -0.052
% Other natural: 0.031
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.76
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 2.0
Buffer strength (0-100): 70
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 42
dolomite (%): 9.0
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 10
VA SOS site name: 13-JM09-Buf-10
VA SOS stream: Buffalo Creek
RACC site name: Buffalo Creek/Zollman’s
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Oct 2002: 8
Jul 2003: 11
Aug 2004: 10
Nov 2004: 12
Apr 2005: 11
Aug 2005: 11
May 2006: 12
Jul 2008: 12
Oct 2008: 11
Feb 2009: 11
Jun 2009: 10
Sep 2009: 12
Jul 2010: 12
Oct 2010: 12
Jan 2011: 8
Apr 2011: 10
Jul 2011: 10
Sep 2011: 10
Dec 2011: 12
Aug 2012: 12
Feb 2013: 12
Aug 2013: 11
Oct 2014: 11
Average score: 10.9
Count: 23
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 93 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 4.4
% Pasture: 19
% Cultivated cropland: 0.28
% Forest: 76
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.34
% Other natural: 0.4
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.33
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 0.17
Buffer strength (0-100): 67
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 38
dolomite (%): 29
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 11
VA SOS site name: 13-JU76-Woo-11
VA SOS stream: Woods Creek
RACC site name: Woods Creek/above Sarahs Run
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Jan 2002: 11
Aug 2003: 9
Mar 2004: 6
Jun 2004: 11
Jan 2005: 9
Apr 2005: 11
Jul 2005: 11
Sep 2005: 11
Dec 2005: 11
Mar 2006: 6
Apr 2006: 8
Jul 2006: 6
Oct 2006: 10
Mar 2007: 7
Sep 2007: 9
Oct 2008: 9
Oct 2009: 10
Oct 2010: 11
Apr 2012: 10
Nov 2012: 9
Mar 2013: 9
Jun 2013: 8
Jun 2014: 9
Average score: 9.17
Count: 23
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 3.7 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 27
% Pasture: 48
% Cultivated cropland: 0.13
% Forest: 25
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 3.1
% Other natural: 0.12
Impervious surface # (0-100): 4.5
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 16
Buffer strength (0-100): 28
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 55
dolomite (%): 30
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 12
VA SOS site name: 13-JU76-Woo-12
VA SOS stream: Woods Creek
RACC site name: Woods Creek/Rt. 60
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Sep 2003: 6
Dec 2003: 10
Mar 2004: 10
Jun 2004: 10
Oct 2004: 9
Dec 2004: 4
Mar 2005: 11
Sep 2005: 6
Dec 2005: 6
Apr 2006: 7
Jul 2006: 8
Jan 2007: 4
Apr 2007: 7
Aug 2007: 7
Nov 2007: 9
Jun 2008: 7
Oct 2008: 8
Apr 2009: 7
Oct 2009: 8
Dec 2012: 8
Apr 2013: 7
Average score: 7.57
Count: 21
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 6.7 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 33
% Pasture: 41
% Cultivated cropland: 0.11
% Forest: 26
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 1.6
% Other natural: 0.13
Impervious surface # (0-100): 6.9
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 8.0
Buffer strength (0-100): 34
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 49
dolomite (%): 30
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 13
VA SOS site name: 1
VA SOS stream: Whistle Creek
RACC site name: Whistle Creek
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Sep 2012: 12
Dec 2012: 11
Sep 2013: 10
Average score: 11
Count: 3
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 8.1 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 12
% Pasture: 26
% Cultivated cropland: 0
% Forest: 62
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.076
% Other natural: 0.15
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.87
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 0.42
Buffer strength (0-100): 52
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 27
dolomite (%): 58
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 14
VA SOS site name: buffalo creek – kygers hill
VA SOS stream: Buffalo Creek
RACC site name: Buffalo Creek nr Kygers Hill
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Mar 2013: 11
Jun 2013: 11
Average score: 11
Count: 2
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 44 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 3
% Pasture: 12
% Cultivated cropland: 0.31
% Forest: 84
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.52
% Other natural: 0.59
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.18
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 0.48
Buffer strength (0-100): 74
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 28
dolomite (%): 38
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 15
VA SOS site name: 1
VA SOS stream: Calfpasture
RACC site name: Calfpasture at Maury
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Sep 2009: 9
Average score: 9.0
Count: 1
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 235 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 3.5
% Pasture: 6.4
% Cultivated cropland: 0.19
% Forest: 89
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.46
% Other natural: 0.73
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.21
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 2.1
Buffer strength (0-100): 82
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 3.1
dolomite (%): 3.2
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
RACC #: 16
VA SOS site name: SBF-1
VA SOS stream: South Buffalo Creek
RACC site name: South Bualo Creek
MMS scores (2001-2014)
Sep 2014: 10
Average score: 10.0
Count: 1
Watershed characteristics-
Area: 14 square miles
Land cover in 2011 (%)-
% Developed: 3.1
% Pasture: 3.4
% Cultivated cropland: 0
% Forest: 93
% Change in forest cover from 2001 to 2011: 0.26
% Other natural: 0.35
Impervious surface # (0-100): 0.098
% Change in impervious surface # from 2001 to 2011: 0
Buffer strength (0-100): 86
Bedrock composition-
calcite (%): 22
dolomite (%): 44
Updated: 25-Jan-2016
For information on watershed characteristics, see data notes
The multimetric score discussed here uses the assemblage of benthic macroinvertebrate inhabiting a cobble-dominated riffle to describe the water quality with respect to aquatic habitat of the river at that site. The score was developed for the VASOS http://www.vasos.org/ for use by certified volunteer monitors and requires that the organisms at the site be classified into 20 taxonomic groups. The reported score is weighted to use the relative sensitivity of these 20 groups to ambient water quality conditions (see Engel, 2000 and Engel and Voshell, 2002). Scores of 12 to 9 are considered “acceptable” water quality, 7 to 2 are “unacceptable”, and a score of 8 is “indeterminate”.
The land use values reported for each watershed are from the most recent (2011) version of the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) released in 2014. This dataset uses aerial imagery and infrared reflectance to categorize land cover into 20 classes with a spatial resolution of 1 arc-second (about 30 meters). Change in land use uses a comparison of datasets from 2001 and 2011. High concentrations of developed, pastured, or farmed land use in a watershed have the potential to affect the physical and chemical characteristics its surface water. Developed land can provide sources of Na and Cl from the application of deicing chemicals, Ca, Mg, and CO3 – from higher rates bedrock weathering, SO4 – from asphalt, nutrient pollution and pesticides from the runoff of fertilizers and (pesticides) applied to lawns and recreational fields, organic pollutants from small (but very common) oil spills, and sediment pollution from the erosion of under-vegetated land to the water. Pastured land has the potential to provide nutrient pollution and bacterial from animal waste and sediment pollution from higher rates of erosion to the surface water (though these effects are highly dependent on animal density and their proximity to the water). Cultivated cropland has the potential to provide highly seasonal nutrient pollution and pesticides from the runoff of fertilizers and pesticides as well as sediment pollution during the times of the year that sloped ground is under vegetated. The entire Maury River watershed is 7% developed, 20% pasture, and 73% forested with only scattered bits of cropland that sum to less than 1%. Town Branch, a tiny (0.7 square mile watershed) tributary of Woods Creek that originates in the town of Lexington is an example of perennial stream with an entirely developed watershed. While the watershed for Moores Creek at the Lexington Reservoir is 100% forest. With 43% pasture, Hays Creek has the largest proportion of pasture of any major tributary of the Maury River and there are no perennial streams in the watershed that are dominated by cultivated cropland.
The impervious surface # values reported for each watershed are from the most recent (2011) version of the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) released in 2014. This dataset uses aerial imagery and infrared reflectance as the basis for assigning a value of 0 to 100 to each 30 x 30 meter area of the US with a value of 0 indicating that there are no barriers to infiltration and a value of 100 indicating an area with no capacity for infiltration. The impervious surface # reported here is the unweighted mean of values for that watershed. Using this methodology, the entire Maury River watershed has an impervious surface # of 0.9, the almost 100% urban Town Branch is 39, and the watershed for the Lexington Reservoir is 0. Developed land uses (particularly uses that involve impervious surfaces) can increase the total volume of runoff, the maximum discharge, and the rate of increase in flow during storm events and reduce the local system’s benefit of the ameliorating effects on water quality that can result from the slow movement of water underground.
The buffer strength values reported for each watershed are from the most recent (2011) version of the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) canopy dataset released in 2014. This dataset uses aerial imagery and infrared reflectance as the basis for assigning a value of 0 to 100 to each 30 x 30 meter area of the US with a value of 0 indicating that there are no trees present and a value of 100 indicating an area that is covered entirely with tree canopy. The buffer strength reported here is the unweighted mean of values for a 30 meter buffer drawn from the center line of the perennial streams of the watershed. Using this methodology, the entire Maury River watershed has a buffer strength of 67, Town Branch is 8 (though this it is perhaps not the best example since it spends so much time underground), and Laurel Run up in Goshen Pass is a 97. Vegetation (particularly trees) near streams can help to slow the flow of storm water into the stream, improve water quality, and help to control water temperature during the summer.
Information on the composition of the bedrock for each watershed comes from currently unpublished work by Paul Low and Chelsi Hewit. The high proportions of carbonate minerals in the bedrock of a watershed (particularly calcite) results in both a higher baseline concentration of dissolved ions (mostly calcium, magnesium, and carbonate) in the surface water and generally lower short-term and seasonal variability in flow. The bedrock of the entire Maury River watershed is 42% carbonate. Its upstream tributaries (Calfpasture and Little Calfpasture Rivers) have very low concentrations of carbonate in the bedrock of their watersheds as do the headwater streams of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Smaller tributaries in The Valley such as Woods Creek, on the other hand, can have watersheds with bedrock that is almost entirely comprised of carbonate minerals.