I didn’t want to leave you all hanging so yesterday I went out to find the source that caused the influx of sediment-laden runoff that caused the water level of Manassas Run to raise at least 4 inches, maybe more at the peak. Mark Frondorf, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, and Bill Howard, with the Downstream Project, joined me yesterday in my hunt for the source. Mark is researching to see if any regulations or laws have been/are being violated.
The area circled on the map below is the catchment basin/lake that is being purposely drained into Manassas Run. The runoff contaminated at least 3 miles of Manassas Run and then the main-stem of the Shenandoah River.
While searching for the source, I collected water samples from Manassas Run, the tributary flowing into Manassas Run carrying the sediment, and on the main-stem of the Shenandoah River at Morgan Ford public boat landing on the southeastern side of the bridge. The E. coli results will be posted momentarily.
I have also provided maps, videos, and pictures of this activity to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Warren County authorities.
