High Levels of Pollutants
Impaired streams are considered to be streams or rivers that do not meet state water quality standards because pollutant levels are too high. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) maintains a list of impaired waters that is updated periodically. Roanoke County has 13 streams that are impaired.
About Total Maximum Daily Loads
VDEQ establishes a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for streams to restore and maintain the water quality of the stream. A TMDL is the total amount of pollutant a stream can receive and still meet water quality standards. A TMDL has been completed for seven of the 13 impaired streams in Roanoke County.
Types of Impairments & How You Can Help
| Impairment | Waterways | How You Can Help |
|---|
| Bacteria | - Back Creek
- Glade Creek
- Lick Run
- Mason Creek
- Mudlick Creek
- Murray Run
- Ore Branch
- Peters Creek
- Roanoke River
- Tinker Creek
| Collect and recycle leaf litter and animal waste from your yard before it reaches storm drains. |
| Dissolved oxygen | Roanoke River | Apply fertilizers and pesticides sparingly, and try not to apply right before a heavy rain. |
| PCBs in fish tissue | Roanoke River | Report known historical releases of PCBs to the VDEQ. |
| Sediment | Mason Creek, Mudlick Creek, Roanoke River | Cover piles of dirt or mulch being used in landscaping projects, and use proper erosion controls for large projects involving disturbing the land. |
| Temperature | Bottom Creek | Avoid clearing and grading directly adjacent to waterways and plant vegetation along stream banks in your yard. |