The New River, prized in many parts of the watershed for its clean and free-flowing waters, has seen water quality levels quickly return to normal after hurricane Helene. As always, heavy rains may affect water quality over a short period, but no long-term negative effects from last year’s storm have been identified in testing done by staff and volunteers for the New River Conservancy Water Watchers.
Since hurricane Helene, the New River Conservancy (NRC) has conducted over 100 water quality tests providing the North Carolina and Virginia Departments of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with a robust data set. John Copeland, former Virginia New River fisheries biologist and current Water Quality Manager for the New River Conservancy states, “Our data indicate no lasting or significant changes to water quality from hurricane Helene.”
Copeland also comments on unanticipated impacts from Helene that might provide a surprising positive change for the river, “Helene scoured the riverbed and deposited sediment from the river high up onto the riverbanks, obviously too high for many homeowners, but that sediment was removed from the river system, making the water clearer in many places and more accommodating to creatures that are impacted by sedimentation”. Copeland added “While it’s a long road to full recovery for species like the Eastern Hellbender, the good news is that survey and restoration efforts are ongoing” (https://www.ncwildlife.gov/species/eastern-hellbender).
While this is positive news, visitors should still be aware of the impacts that heavy rain can have over a short-term period. Downpours can wash debris into the river and temporarily raise bacteria levels. According to the North Carolina Department of Water Resources (DWR), “Bacteria concentrations are expected to fluctuate with changes in river conditions such as flow, sediment load, and temperature. These conditions change daily and sometimes hourly, but become more pronounced following rainfall events, which result in increased runoff and turbidity (i.e., muddy water)”. In fact, North Carolina DWR data demonstrate a strong positive correlation between elevated E. coli levels and turbidity (i.e., higher turbidity is associated with higher E. coli levels). (https://www.deq.nc.gov/water-resources/dwr-aro-e-coli-fact-sheet-2022/open). New River recreationists should incorporate this knowledge into their river plans, paying attention to increased flow and muddy conditions, allowing time for the river to return to normal levels after a heavy rain.
Andrew Downs, Executive Director of the New River Conservancy, is already enjoying river season with his family and shares his rule of thumb with swimmers: “My kids love playing in the river. After heavy rain, when the water is up, I tend to wait awhile, mostly so we can avoid any downed trees or ‘strainers’, but once the muddy water passes, we’re right back in as usual. The riparian buffers, our mussel populations, and even the river itself act as natural filters. After a heavy rain, giving these systems time to act is important, but they act quickly to maintain the fantastic water quality of the New.”
The New River Conservancy organization has worked every day since the early 1970’s to protect the woods, waters and wildlife of the iconic New River and its watershed. NRC is a 501©3 nonprofit. Donations are welcome and tax deductible. For more information, please visit their website at newriverconservancy.org, or any of their social media pages.
Photo: John Copeland teaches a new class of Water Watchers.
