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Making Waves In The Guest River
Wise County, Virginia
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Improving Environmental Quality through Community Stewardship
The Guest River watershed has a rich natural beauty that can be seen in the mountainous terrain throughout the area. From afar, the watershed looks pristine and untouched. However, a closer look shows that it is unhealthy. A major problem facing the watershed is the poor water quality. The Guest River is one of the most polluted tributaries of the Clinch River. The problems with water quality are due to non-point source pollution coming from failing septic systems/straight-piping, pre-1977 coal mining and logging practices and illegal dumping. Today, community members and local, state and federal agencies are working together to improve water quality and encourage environmental stewardship in the watershed. This case study provides a brief overview of the problems facing the Guest River and what has been done to address its problems.
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Problems Facing the Guest River
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The Guest River watershed is located in southwest Virginia and is typical of many coal-impacted watersheds in the Central Appalachians. Since the 1800s, the coal mining and logging industries have played a significant role in shaping the people, culture and landscape of this region and have been the economic backbone for the region.
Economic Depression
The decline in the coal industry in recent years has hurt the region's economy. The result has been increased unemployment and the migration of workers to other regions. Additionally, the impacts on the environment due to years of mining and logging are now being realized. The effects can be seen in the loss of forested land and the decline of water quality from streambank erosion and runoff of sediment from abandoned mine lands.
Water Quality Issues
The quality of surface and ground water is a major concern in the region. Many people still rely on both ground and surface water for drinking and other household uses. However, the problems with water quality extend beyond past mining and logging practices. Other problems exist from development and the lack of concerns by people who live in the watershed. For example, many residents in the region live in homes that have inadequate sewage treatment. The wastewater that leaves their homes is piped directly into the river, commonly referred to as straight-piping. This waste can eventually lead to fish kills and can potentially introduce harmful diseases into the watershed.
A Rippling Effect
The decline of the coal industry has caused lower revenue, making it even harder to maintain and improve sewage systems and an acceptable water supply throughout the watershed. In addition, connecting to a treated water supply is not an easy task. The geology of the land and the cost of installing water and sewer systems are major obstacles facing residents.
Other problems in the watershed are related to water pollution by fertilizer and sediment runoff from farms that make up a small percent of the region's land. Dumping of household hazardous wastes down storm drains is also a problem in the watershed. In addition, there are a number of illegal dumpsites throughout the watershed. These problems have accumulated over the years and have decreased the health of the river and the surrounding land.
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Towards a Healthier River
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The Beginning of a Partnership
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the nation's largest public power company, manages the entire Tennessee River Basin, which includes both the Clinch and Guest Rivers. In 1994, TVA performed a water quality study of the Guest River. The study identified that the water quality of the river was below Virginia state standard levels because of high bacteria and sediment concentrations in the water. The findings from this study alerted local agencies to the serious problems in the watershed. They also sparked an interest in forming a partnership among several agencies to address water quality and other problems in the watershed. The informal alliance that developed from this partnership is called the Guest River Group.
A Few Agency Partners
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Virginia Department of Forestry
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Tennessee Valley Authority
Virginia Natural Resources Conservation Service
USDA Forest Service
Lonesome Pine Soil and Water Conservation District
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Get to know the Guest River Group
The Guest River Group began in 1995. It is made up of watershed residents and over 15 local, state and federal agencies. It is an agency-driven organization, but many of its representatives are members of the local community. It is fair to say that the Guest River Group promotes community involvement.
The Lonesome Pine Soil and Water Conservation District is charged with coordinating activities among the agencies and local volunteer projects. Community groups that support the watershed projects include: Job Corps, University of Virginia at Wise, Master Gardeners and the Wise County Clean Team.
The Guest River Group's Goals and Projects
The Guest River Group is addressing environmental problems through the Guest River Restoration Project. The main goal of the project is to improve water quality in the watershed. In addition, the Guest River Group conducts educational programs for each water quality project they carry out. By doing this, they make sure that area residents are aware of the issues affecting the watershed. To achieve their goals, the Guest River Group does a variety of projects to clean, protect and restore the Guest River. Some of the major projects are listed in the box below.
GOAL
Improve water quality in the Guest River watershed
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Financial support for the Guest River Restoration Project comes from the Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) grants, available through the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, as well as from many other local, state and federal agencies.
Guest River projects
Septic Tank Pump-Outs and Repairs
Abandoned Mine Land Reclamations
Survey of Illegal dumps
Illegal Dump Clean-ups
Large Appliance Collection
Stenciling Storm Drains
Tree Planting
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Porous Paving Project
Outdoor Classroom for School Children
Restoring Streambanks
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Knowing Where They Stand
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The Guest River Group has taken great steps towards achieving their goal of improving water quality in the Guest River watershed. In addition to enhancing water quality, the Guest River Group has improved community awareness and created a partnership that will ensure the protection of the watershed. These achievements are evident because the Guest River Group measures the progress of every project they carry out. They measure their work by using indicators that are tailored to the goals of the projects. The Guest River Group uses environmental, organizational and social indicators to check their success.
Environmental Indicators
As mentioned earlier, the primary focus of the Guest River Group is to improve water quality in the river. Several indicators, which are mentioned in the box, were developed specifically for this purpose. Indicators were used to track the progress of each project and give the Guest River Group a better idea of whether they are approaching their goals.
Number of illegal dump sites cleaned up
Number of septic tanks pumped out
Number of septic tanks repaired
Acres of abandoned mine land reclaimed
Miles of streambanks restored
Number of trees planted
Number of large appliance collected for proper disposal
 Septic tank repair in the Guest River Watershed
Other environmental indicators look at the volume of household hazardous waste collected and the concentration of bacteria and sediment in the water. This last indicator reflects how well the system is recovering due to the cumulative effects of all the projects discussed earlier. To illustrate this last statement, if the number of inadequate septic tanks is reduced, less human waste will be introduced into the watershed. A reduction of human waste would lower bacteria concentration in the river.
Social Indicators
The Guest River Group takes pride in developing educational programs for each project. The group believes that educating the community will improve the actions and outlook of citizens. In addition, environmental outreach helps inform people of the problems and the conditions of their waterways. Through awareness and education, the Guest River Group hopes that the community will take responsibility in protecting and restoring their watershed. Some of the social indicators used by the Guest River Group to measure the achievements of their educational programs are shown in the shaded box.
Number of wastewater workshops held
Number of "Kids in the Creek" activities held
Number of students who attend presentations on Guest River Restoration Project
Number of pollution prevention posters distributed
Number of storm drains stenciled with "Dump No Waste, Drains to Stream"
Number of times the group receives media attention (i.e. newspapers, radio, and TV)
Number of Guest River Brochure/Report Card distributed
The last indictor on the list, Guest River Brochure/Report Cards, provides the Guest River Group with the opportunity to rate the projects' success using an A-F scale. Much like a report card you receive in school, it tells the community if the projects are meeting their goals. The report cards are distributed along with a brochure on the Guest River Restoration Project to provide background on the projects being rated.
 Streambank restoration along the Guest River
Organizational Indicators
The Guest River Brochures/Report Card is also used as an indicator for organizational achievements. As mentioned, the report card rates projects based on their progress in meeting the established goal(s). Evaluation is an important component of the Guest River Restoration Project. By knowing how they are doing on each project and as an organization, the Guest River Group can show supporting agencies and residents their achievements and progress in meeting their goals.
Achievements
Cleaned up 30 of 55 illegal dumps
Reclaimed 6 Abandoned Mine Land Sites
Replaced more than 60 septic systems
Pumped out more than 400 septic tanks
Collected 11,728 lbs of household hazardous waste.
Restored 6 miles of streambank
Presented the Guest River Restoration Project to over 3000 students
Conducted 9 Guest River Education Days
Collected over 2,600 large appliances
Stenciled drains in the city of Norton, the towns of Coeburn and Wise
Distributed over 2500 Guest River Brochure/Report Cards
Distributed 4,000 informative placemats to local restaurants and 5,000 pollution prevention posters
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A Wave Of Success
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The Guest River Group has made significant progress toward their goal of improving the water quality of the Guest River. In addition to improving the environment, the Guest River Group has also shown that it strives to enhance the social structure of the local community through citizen outreach activities. Improving the environment and social structure will eventually lead to a healthier economic foundation based on environmental and social sustainability.
The key to their success is goal attainment. The Guest River Group has met or exceeded nearly all of the goals set out for the Guest River Restoration Projects. Monitoring the progress of each project with indicators allowed the Guest River Group to make good decisions on how to keep their projects on-track. In addition, measuring the outcomes of each project gives proof to the local community and supporting agencies that they are making a difference in the watershed. Without knowing where they stand, the Guest River Group would not be where they are today. The Guest River Group understands the role of measuring outcomes and uses indicators wisely to help them be successful.
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