Ecological restoration of rivers and their associated landscapes is a common theme for research and education at universities and colleges throughout Virginia. In Waynesboro, the South River is the subject of ongoing studies and efforts to restore water quality, aquatic life, and overall ecosystem health. Valuable research by the South River Science Team continues to expand our understanding of the complexity of this mercury-contaminated riverine ecosystem with the goal of restoring it to health. The Virginia Trout Stream Sensitivity Study is another long-standing program to assess the health of mountain streams in the region. Recently, academic researchers and resource management professionals participated in the second Mountain Streams Symposium, a conference highlighting collaborative efforts to address critical challenges facing our regional water resources.
The purpose of a university consortium is to build collaboration among existing programs to develop better models for ecological restoration. CCR invites all professionals applying science to understand and restore coldwater ecosystems to join and support this effort.
