Most of Virginia is now under a Drought Warning!
Most of Virginia is now under a Drought Warning! According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in coordination with the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, the drought warning advisory has expanded to include 94 counties and 33 cities across the Commonwealth. The following areas in the Shenandoah Watershed are included in the warning […]
Lowest Flow Rates Recorded in Shenandoah River watershed!
This Shenandoah River is setting records — and not the kind we want to see! On Saturday, May 9, 2026, the flow levels in the North Fork, South Fork, and Main-stem of the Shenandoah River all fell below previous record lows, in some cases breaking nearly 100 years of recorded river flow data. These historic […]
Protect Grassland Birds and Get Paid to Do It
The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative’s Financial Incentives Program Application is NOW Open! The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative provides financial support for two best management practices (BMPs) that benefit both working lands and wildlife. These practices, (1) delayed haying and (2) summer pasture stockpiling, are designed to protect vulnerable grassland birds during nesting season, enhance overall […]
EMERGENCY! Groundwater in the Shenandoah River Watershed is Critically Low
Despite some recent precipitation, the Shenandoah River watershed continues to be under drought watch status due to insufficient and infrequent rainfall. Of greater concern is the ongoing lack of groundwater recharge, which has caused groundwater supplies in the watershed to drop to critically low levels. Groundwater is a vital resource for communities, agriculture, and ecosystems […]
Shenandoah River Watershed is Under a Drought Watch Advisory
September 22, 2025 | Richmond, VA – The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in coordination with the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, has issued drought watch advisories for counties within the Shenandoah River watershed. Affected counties include: Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren. “A drought watch advisory is intended to help Virginians […]
FOSR is committed to providing public access to our data
Friends of the Shenandoah River (FOSR) is committed to providing public access to our data. We provide unrestricted access to our Summer Weekly E. coli Testing Program results, and have made them available in four different formats to help community members easily access and understand this important information: Infographic summaries, such as this one for […]
Shenandoah Riverkeeper Spotlights FOSR’s E. coli Testing Program
In case you missed Mark Frondorf’s, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, great radio spot on The River 95.3 FM last week you can listen to it here https://theriver953.com/river-report-8-22-25/ A big thank you to Mark for the kind mention and public support of Friends of the Shenandoah River and the work we do. Your recognition of our summer […]
Bethany, Good-bye and THANK YOU!
It’s that time of year again when we say goodbye to our summer interns as they return to continue or complete their education. This summer, we were lucky to have Bethany join our team to support our weekly E. coli testing program. Bethany’s role meant early mornings (even if only twice a week!), donning waders, […]
E. coli Testing Update: Results to Be Posted Tomorrow
We have finished setting up the E. coli tests for the water samples collected today. The Main-stem, South Fork, and North Fork of the Shenandoah River remain murky with visible brown discoloration. E. coli enumeration results will be posted tomorrow, Thursday July 24, after the readings are completed and validated.
Shenandoah River is murky and swiftly flowing
Good Morning from the Shenandoah! So far this morning, the Shenandoah River, at FOSR’s water-quality monitoring sites along the main-stem, is murky, high, and swiftly flowing. Be sure to check back for the latest results from FOSR’s Summer Weekly E. coli Testing Program, the results from the monitoring we are doing today will be posted tomorrow! […]