While collecting water samples yesterday along the North Fork, South Fork, and Main-stem of the Shenandoah River, we couldn’t help but notice how many people were out enjoying the River! From fishing and kayaking to tubing and good old-fashioned splashing around, it was a lively day on the water. We were greeted with genuine interest and appreciation, thank you to everyone who stopped to chat with us!
Here’s the positive news: E. coli levels at all our River sampling sites were below the EPA’s recommended threshold of 235 CFU per 100mL. Explore our new interactive map and QR codes for every monitoring site at the button links below.
The recent stretch of dry weather has given the River a break from heavy rain that causes an increase in runoff. We observed a noticeable improvement in water clarity; less silt and sediment and the riverbed was visible at most locations.
And it’s not just the air heating up… at Castleman’s Ferry (Main-stem, Clarke County), we recorded the highest water temp of the summer so far: 85.1ºF!
We’ll continue monitoring the Shenandoah and sharing updates to keep you informed about the health of your River.
