Loudoun Watershed Watch - Overseeing the Water Resources of Loudoun County, VA


Loudoun Watershed Watch Overseeing the Water Resources of Loudoun County, VA
	Environmental Stewardship The federal Clean Water Act of 1972 guarantees citizens the right to be informed about the quality of their drinking and recreational waters, and to help keep these waters healthy. Water quality standards establish numerical criteria for the safe use of waters for aquatic life, drinking, swimming, fishing, and boating. The intent is to limit pollutants entering a stream so degradation that prevents these uses does not occur.
	Environmental stewardship involves protecting streams and educating the public about wise watershed management. A healthy stream has a balanced supply of organic materials, or detritus, and other nutrients that come from forested stream banks. Its banks are stable and covered with plants that keep soils from eroding. A healthy stream also provides a variety of habitats, including waters in fast-moving riffles and slow-moving pools.	Stream restoration in Big Springs
	Aquatic organisms living in the stream hide around rocks, under fallen trees and near root masses along stream banks. There is sufficient dissolved oxygen for organisms to breathe, shade to keep water temperatures low, and no toxic chemicals.	Mayfly Nymph
	A healthy stream does not exist in isolation. Rather, it is the lowest point in an interconnected complex of ecosystems, and is influenced by land uses around it. Keeping excessive sediments, nutrients, organic materials, and harmful chemicals and bacteria out of streams requires the application of best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs need to be applied to the immediate stream banks, the drainage areas along the streams, and throughout the upstream drainage area.
	Stream restoration in Ashburn	Stream clean-up on Catoctin Creek
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