Stream Health Initiative: Develop
Stream Health Initiative: Develop
Albemarle County is committed to working toward the community vision for stream health.
Our community vision: Albemarle County will have clean, healthy stream systems that allow for safe utilization and support a diverse and resilient natural environment and a thriving rural economy. The quality of the water and riparian areas will provide important benefits such as drinking water protection, climate resilience, protection of biodiversity, erosion and sediment control, flood mitigation, and scenic beauty; and will maintain healthy aquatic and terrestrial habitat, support agriculture and other rural industries, and safely allow for recreational uses such as swimming, boating, and fishing.
Our goals for Stream Health
- Maintain and improve local conditions to ensure that our streams and rivers are meeting or exceeding the state water quality standards.
- Increase our understanding of the status and needs of our waterways through monitoring and assessment within our watersheds.
- Strengthen programs, policies, and enforcement mechanisms to have clear, effective, and enforceable measures.
- Increase and promote incentives and voluntary measures that protect stream health.
- Protect and restore riparian systems to maintain and enhance the benefits they provide to people and the natural environment.
- Foster a well-informed and educated public that understands the importance of stream health, local policies, best management practices, and individual actions that can affect stream health.
Strategy Development
Throughout the spring, the Stream Health Initiative stakeholder workgroup developed strategies for improving stream health in the county. Selected strategies were presented to the Board of Supervisors in July, some of which are currently being developed into proposals. The proposal development stage involves evaluating many different factors -- including effectiveness at improving stream health, positive/negative impacts to the community, cost, staff time, and legal issues, to name a few.
Alignment with other County Plans
Many of the stream health strategies included in this questionnaire overlap with strategies and recommended actions in other County plans. We’ve noted these potential co-benefits under ‘Alignment’ for each strategy. Learn more by reading the Climate Action Plan and Biodiversity Action Plan.
Participate in the Process
We’d love to hear from you about which strategies you feel are most effective at responding to the challenge of improving stream health. Let us know your thoughts by participating here.
Public Comment
Complete the questions. This questionnaire will be open from August 18th through September 8th, 2021
You may also submit your comments to our project team at streamhealth@albemarle.org
Board of Supervisors Work Session
December 1st, 2021