Virginia Restoration Reroutes Troubled Water

By Kimber Ray

In Rockbridge County, Va., construction vehicles this August began carving out nearly half a mile of new streambed for the Maury River. Tree plantings to stabilize the soil are scheduled to begin this fall. This will be the largest stream restoration project completed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which received funding from a federal grant program and a local family farm.

For more than three decades, the Maury River has shifted from its once and future location in reaction to a 1973 dam project. Along the way, the river has claimed more than 15 acres of Echols Farm, depositing massive amounts of sediment into the water and smothering riverbed life. The restored river is expected to improve fish habitat and reduce flooding for miles downstream.