Policy on the #NNK

Skip to Waters on the NNK . Skip to IR-related Clean Water Act basics . Commenting on the IR The Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public comments on Virginia’s 2024 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report (IR), a “summary of the water quality conditions in Virginia from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2022.” The “biennial report satisfies the requirements of the U.S. Clean Water Act sections 305(b) and 303(d) and the Virginia Water Quality Monitoring, Information and Restoration Act .” (Source: Integrated Report , DEQ) The deadline for comments is May 22 . Direct comments and questions to: Sandra Mueller Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Water Monitoring and Assessment Program P.O. Box 1105 Richmond, VA 23218-1105 Via email attachment to deqecology@deq.virginia.gov (include your name, US mail address, telephone number, and email address) The report is dense. Get a digestible version of the findings from DEQ T...

The Northumberland County Anti-Litter Committee is giving away pickup truck cargo nets Saturday, May 4, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm while supplies last to Northumberland County property owners and residents. The rain date is Saturday, May 11. Nets will be distributed at the county’s three waste disposal sites: Ditchley : 10943 Jessie Dupont Memorial Hwy Horsehead Trash and Yard Debris : 11705 Northumberland Hwy Lottsburg : 2174 Northumberland Hwy To receive a net, Northumberland County property owners and residents will be required to sign a pledge stating that they will properly cover and secure loads before heading off to the dump. Northumberland County’s new “Cover your Load” campaign directs attention to the problems of debris blowing out of the beds of pickups and vehicle crashes and encourages behavior change. While the sheriff will take action on unsecured loads (Virginia State Code, Chapter 10, Article 20, Section 46.2-1156 states “No vehicle shal...

Blue catfish are in the news again. VPM’s Lawmakers want Virginians to eat more blue catfish and The Cool Down’s Officials devise unconventional plan to eliminate invasive fish species: 'There are 100 million of them' discuss the state’s current plan to reduce the blue cat proliferation. Introduced by the Department of Wildlife Resources in the early 70s to create recreational trophy fisheries, blue catfish are now a significant threat to other species, valuable species. The state, in its infinite wisdom, wants Virginians to eat blue cats to reduce the threat to, say, crabs. But let’s be frank: There is no way Virginians and visitors can alone make a dent in the blue catfish population. The state could have invested multiple millions in processing, as was proposed last year. Chesapeake Bay Magazine ’s Funding Slashed for VA Blue Catfish Commercial Fishery explains: They were brought here with the best of intentions. But blue catfish have become a menace in t...

Interceptor 007 Faces the First Rain Event in LA (& stops 35,000 lbs of waste) | The Ocean Cleanup , above, shows only a small part of the pollution Los Angeles faces and one of the ways they are addressing it. LA is not alone in the use of barriers and boats to clean rivers and other waterways. A closer-to-home example is DC Water and their three boats Flotsam, Jetsam, and an unnamed sibling . On the Northern Neck, clean ups are also a thing. Northumberland Association of Progressive Stewards (NAPS) has regular cleanups. And the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors is sponsoring Community Trash Clean Up Day Saturday, April 27 . Northumberland County’s Anti-Litter Committee has organized a cleanup or two and takes policy and behavior change approaches to reducing litter in the county. According to the website, The Committee’s purpose is to promote the cause of a cleaner, more attractive community through litter control and recycling. The Committee has...

If you missed the popular and well-attended (81 people were there!) April 14 #NNK250 event, watch it on YouTube: Reimagining Leedstown What Archaeology Reveals about this Remarkable Place with Dr. Julie King . Two more Power of Place events remain in this series: Indigenous Perspectives on the Northern Neck and Power of Place, May 5, featuring Chief Anne Richardson and The Leedstown Resolutions–Connecting Consumerism and Revolution on the Northern Neck, June 9, with Dr. Philip Levy. The events are free and open to the public.

Northumberland County residents have the opportunity to blow past the 1 million pounds of household hazardous waste disposed of properly at the county's HHW and E-waste collection event Saturday, April 20 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm . The event takes place at the middle school parking lot on Route 360/Northumberland Highway. The 2024 collection season started March 23 in Lancaster County. NNSWCD - HHW event numbers , which contains data from the Northern Neck Soil & Water Conservation District, shows Lancaster County residents dropped off a total of 18,757 pounds of hazardous waste―13,125 in HHW and 5,632 in e-waste. That has put Northumberland County in the position to hit 1 million pounds at their first collection event of the year. Northern Neck Soil & Water Conservation District recently sent an announcement about the milestone: The Northern Neck Soil & Water Conservation District (NNSWCD) and our local Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) offices serving Lancas...

Virginia State Parks has a number of full-time, part-time, and seasonal job openings . Part-time and summer jobs currently available at Belle Isle are Contact Ranger and Maintenance Ranger. Current openings at Westmoreland are Contact Ranger, Maintenance Ranger, Housekeeping Ranger, Interpretive Assistant, and Maintenance Ranger Supervisor.

National Fishing and Boating Week , June 1-9 , “highlights the importance of recreational boating and fishing in enhancing our quality of life and preserving our country’s natural beauty.” (Source: https://www.takemefishing.org ) Here are some ways to get outside and celebrate: Parks, Nature and Water Trails lists state-owned, privately-owned public lands, and trails info. Paddler’s Guide to Northumberland County from Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship (NAPS) contains info about stops on creeks and the Potomac, places to stay, Northumberland County launch sites, and other information. NAPS has a master map as well as detailed maps for these rivers: Yeocomico, Coan, Little Wicomico, Great Wicomico West, and Great Wicomico East. The Northern Neck National Heritage Area has info on marinas, smallcraft rentals, and more . Virginia Water Trails lists NNK trails by county . Also, you might want to read Paddling the upper G...

The experts have started issuing their forecasts for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, June 1-November 20. WeatherTiger’s first take came out March 22 . In the past week, Colorado State University's CSU Tropical Weather & Climate Research Team and TSR (Tropical Storm Risk) have released theirs. All predict an unusually active season. TSR, for example, predicts that the North Atlantic hurricane season in 2024 will be hyper-active with activity about 70% above the 1991-2020 climate norm. This is the highest forecast issued by TSR at this lead time. This forecast has higher confidence than normal at this lead time. The forecast predicts 23 tropical storms, 11 hurricanes, 5 intense hurricanes [and] an Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index of 217 TSR’s report includes a comparison of TSR and CSU predictions. It is below. CSU’s more detailed prediction is the bottom image below. TSR’s next forecast will be published May 30 and CSU’s June 11.

The Commonwealth Calendar “displays public meetings of Virginia government entities.” It’s searchable by sponsors, date, keyword, and category. “For regulatory meetings and information, also see www.townhall.virginia.gov . For tourism events, please visit www.virginia.org .”

Become a Virginia Certified Ecotour Guide and show locals and visitors the Northern Neck in all her glory. Show the beauty, share local history, discuss the ecosystem, and talk culture. The Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission is offering the Virginia Certified Ecotour Guide Course 2024 over eight weeks, May 16 to June 27 . The largely virtual class concludes with a final, in-person class. Those who successfully complete the course will be a Virginia Certified Ecotour Guide. Participants will learn “various aspects of coastal ecotourism, including ecosystem history and science, interpretation skills, and entrepreneurship in the tourism sector.” Learn more and register online .

The public is invited to participate in the Thursday, April 18 , 7:00 pm Northern Neck National Heritage Area virtual input session . The meeting has two purposes. First, to update the community on the status of the development of the Northern Neck National Heritage Area. Second, for participants to identify elements of the area’s heritage and culture which should be developed, amplified, and sustained. This virtual event follows two in-person events in March. The press release Warsaw-The public is invited to participate and provide input as planning for the future of the Northern Neck National Heritage Area at a virtual public meeting on April 18, at 7pm. The link to the public meeting is available at the Northern Neck Planning District Commission’s website, northernneck.us. Two previous in-person meetings were held in March. This virtual meeting is planned to provide an additional opportunity for public engagement. “The Northern Neck National Heritage Area was designated...