Watershed Characteristics go to top The Stroubles Creek watershed (VAW-N22R) is a small sub-watershed (5,802 hectares or 14,336 acres) within the New River watershed in southwest Virginia. The headwaters of Stroubles Creek are natural springs that emerge on the northern part of the town of Blacksburg in Montgomery County, Virginia where the watershed is characterized by limestone/dolomite formations, sink holes, and natural springs. The Stroubles Creek bed is alluvium-flood-plain deposits of stratified unconsolidated sand, silt, and clay with beds and lenses of pebbles and cobles. The 15-kilometer-long (9.2-miles) freshwater stream discharges into the New River after flowing through urban and urbanizing areas of Blacksburg, the university (Virginia Tech), and agricultural and rural areas. Major land use changes have occurred within the watershed during the past one-hundred years, primarily residential and agricultural development. In 1900, the urban land use was insignificant; the town was a few square blocks, and the university consisted of a few buildings and experimental agricultural fields. From the mid 1800s to 1930s, deep coal mining was an active industry in the watershed. Currently the land use in the Stroubles Creek watershed is 40% forest, 29% agriculture, 19% urban, 0.24% water, and 12% unknown. One event of significant ecological consequence occurred in 1937 when the natural course of the central branch of Stroubles Creek was altered and partially covered (physical disturbance) in order to accommodate building a drill field on the Virginia Tech campus. At about the same time, a small dam was built to expand an existing small pond for recreational purposes. Currently, the Duck Pond is fed by the two major branches of Stroubles Creek. The pond serves as a stormwater management facility for urban runoff from the town of Blacksburg and parts of the university. A fish survey conducted in the lower part of the creek found bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), central stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum), crescent shiner (Luxilus cerasinus), largemouth bass (Macropterus salmoides), and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) (McCarty and Newcomb, 1999). Since 1970, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has maintained an ambient water quality monitoring station (9-STE002.41) in the lower part of the watershed about 4.2 miles downstream from the old sewage treatment plant. The DEQ ambient water quality data is available from the STORET database. Monthly or quarterly samples are analyzed for conventional parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, nutrients (N, P) and fecal coliform bacteria. The DEQ biomonitoring station (9-STE006.69) is located 4.28 miles upstream from the ambient water quality monitoring station near the discharge point of the old sewage treatment plant. In 1998, the DEQ determined that a 4.87 miles segment of the stream in the lower part of the Stroubles Creek watershed violates benthic standards and included the segment in Virginia's Section 303(d) impaired list (DEQ 1998). The impaired segment begins at the edge of Virginia Tech's the main campus, just below its Duck Pond. The speculated impairment source is nonpoint source pollution from agricultural activity and increased urbanization of the upper portion of the watershed. Sinking Creek, a pristine freshwater stream in Giles County, Virginia within the same ecoregion was used as a reference to determine the impairment status for Stoubles Creek. Historical Water Quality Studies go to top The oldest available report investigated the water quality and self-purification of Stroubles Creek (Sutton, 1914). Sutton observed high concentrations of Bacillus coli bacterium in Stroubles Creek water and attributed the presence of bacteria to effluent from the university septic tanks, privies, and runoff from nearby horse stables. A later investigator studied the recovery of creek water quality when the septic system was replaced with a sewage treatment plant that started operating about 2.8 miles downstream from the septic field (Taft, 1949). Taft reported immediate water quality recovery near the septic tank discharge as indicated by increased dissolved oxygen and decreased biochemical oxygen demand. Subsequently, several studies were performed on the ecology and water quality of Stroubles Creek (Kelsey, 1973; Hayles, 1973; Hoehn et al., 1975; Woodside, 1988). In particular, two studies, i.e. Kelsey (1973) and Hayles (1973) are most relevant to this report. Kelsey (1973) investigated the effects of chlorinated municipal sewage effluent on Stroubles Creek water and its impact on aquatic life in the lower part of the watershed (below the old sewage treatment plant) using bluegill fish (Leopmis macrochirus) and the benthic organism, coperculate snail (Goniobasis), as indicators. The study concluded that during the warm water (>8 C°) portion of study, the dissolved oxygen concentrations in the stream were more than adequate to sustain aquatic life, but a chlorine residual toxic to most forms of aquatic life existed for a distance of 4.84 miles downstream from the treatment plant outfall. During the cold water (<8 C°) portion of the study, a chlorine residual toxic to most forms of aquatic life existed for a distance of 6.26 miles downstream from the treatment plant outfall. Hayles (1973) reported high levels of pollution in the upper urbanized parts of the watershed (above the old sewage treatment plant) using seven macroinvertebrate taxa (Ephemeroptera, Odanata, Plecopetra, Megalopetra, Coleoptera, Tricoptera, and Diptera) as indicators to determining the degree of pollution in Stroubles Creek. References Cited Hayles, V.M. 1973. Biological and Chemical Monitoring of Three Streams in the Area of Blacksburg, Virginia. M.S. Thesis in Zoology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia. Hoehn, R.C., M.R. Childrey and D.N. Contractor. 1975. Modeling the Effect of Waste Discharge in a Small Mountain Stream. VWRRC Bull. 76. Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia. Kelsey, R.G. 1973. Some Effects of a Chlorinated Municipal Sewage Effluent on a Small Creek. M.S. Thesis in Sanitary Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia. Sutton, L.E. 1914. A Study of Self-Purification of Stroubles Creek. Thesis in Bacteriology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia. Taft, W.D. 1949. An Investigation to Determine Rate and Recovery of Stroubles Creek after Diversion of Poorly Treated Sewage. M.S. Thesis in Sanitary Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia. Woodside, M. 1988. Analysis of Water Quality Problems in VPI & SU Duck Pond and Suggested Management Alternatives. M.S. in Environmental Science and Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia. DEQ, 1998. Virginia 303(d) Total Maximum Daily Load Priority List and Report. Prepared by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Richmond, Virginia. Revised June 1998. McCarty, K. and T. J. Newcomb. 1999. A Historical Review of Stroubles Creek Restoration. Virginia Tech Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Tech. Unpublished Report. Maps go to top Please visit the Stroubles Creek Watershed Internet Map Server Stakeholder List go to top Name Association Tamim Younos Virginia Water Resources Research Center at Virginia Tech Raymond de Leon Virginia Water Resources Research Center at Virginia Tech Mandy Stoughton Virginia Water Resources Research Center at Virginia Tech Mike Rosenzweig SEEDS, Virginia Museum of Natural History at Virginia Tech Llyn Sharp Virginia Museum of Natural History at Virginia Tech Michele James-Deramo Service-Learning Center at Virginia Tech Wendy Shafer Center for Human-Computer Interaction at Virginia Tech webmaster Virginia Water Resources Research Center 23 Agnew  Hall (0444) Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061 P: (540) 231-5624 F:(540) 231-6673