Know Before You Go
Friends of the Shenandoah River provides regular accredited E. coli concentration data to assist you in making informed decisions about recreational use of the river. We test for E. coli levels at 12-17 locations each week. Back in the lab, we culture samples and measure E. coli levels — it’s technical, but that’s it in […]
Lastest Testing Results at a Glance July 23, 2025
Our latest E. coli testing from July 23 reveals a mixed picture across the Shenandoah River and its tributaries. While most sites were within EPA guidelines for recreation, a few locations—like Castleman’s Ferry (E. coli MPN: 365.4) and Hawksbill Creek (E. coli MPN: 579.4)—still show elevated bacteria levels that exceed EPA guidelines and call for […]
Still Clearing Log Jams in Shenandoah River at Morgan’s Ford Bridge
The debris that had been accumulating for months along the banks that were swept away by remnants of Hurricane Debby have caused log jams at several bridges that cross over local rivers and streams. Work continues to remove the log jams that are snagged on the pier columns of the bridge on Morgan’s Ford Road […]
How Quickly the River Level Rises and Falls
Here are some time series photos of the River’s rise and fall from August 6 through August 15 influenced by remnants of Hurricane Debby.
Shenandoah River watershed aquatic ecosystem is under increased stress
On July 10th, 2024, the water level on the main-stem Shenandoah River at Morgan Ford bridge had receded so much that the bank is now at our mid-river site, FW-35MID, which has occurred 16 days earlier compared to last year (July 26th, 2023). Also, during this sampling event the water temperatures at these sites averaged […]
Water levels continue to decrease
Today, Wednesday July 10, Madison and I were out collecting the water samples for the FOSR’s Summer E. coli Testing program. We had beautiful skies, there was a hot breeze, and temperatures were climbing! We are concerned and can see a decrease in the water level since we were at the sites last week.
Is the River Safe?
We are frequently asked, “Is the River “safe?” As much as we might want to, we are not able to state whether a section of the River is safe or not because while in the River one could step on a bottle top or fish hook causing injury, hit a submerged log, or come in contact with […]
Possible Harmful Algal Blooms on South Fork Shenandoah River
Today, June 26, 2024, when visiting FOSR’s Summer E. coli Testing Site FPM13 Moody public boat launch at Mile 13 on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in Page County, VA., we observed possible harmful algal blooms and filamentous algae. We submitted a report to VA Dept. of Health and VA Dept. of Environmental Quality. […]
Prepared for the next FOSR’s Summer E. coli Testing Event on Wednesday June 26, 2024
We are ready to head out tomorrow morning, Wednesday June 26, to collect the water samples for the Friends of the Shenandoah River’s summer E. coli testing program. The E. coli bacteria concentration results will be posted on Thursday, June 27, after the required incubation period, the results have been read, and validated.
VA DEQ Issues Drought Warning for Counties in the Shenandoah River Watershed
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued a drought warning advisory that includes the following counties in the Shenandoah River watershed: Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Clarke. The continued high temperatures and little to no measurable rain, has caused a rapid decline in surface waters (streams and rivers) and in the groundwater […]