Mechumps Creek in Hanover County, Virginia, like most streams in urbanized areas, is damaged from stormwater runoff. But a partnership between the Town of Ashland, Randolph-Macon College and a consulting firm with expertise in stream restoration, is exploring methods for fixing Mechumps and other urban streams throughout the region. RMC Biology and Environmental Studies Professor Chas. Gowan conceived this project in 2003, and its implementation began in 2010.

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Restoring and Monitoring
In 2010 the partnership implemented Phase 1 of a restoration plan, fully restoring 1,200 feet of stream that runs through a patch of forest surrounded by fast-food parking lots near the I-95 interchange. “Based on annual monitoring conducted by R-MC environmental studies majors, the restored reach is much healthier than it was, but poor water quality due to parking-lot runoff continues to prevent fully natural populations of fish and other aquatic life from colonizing the restored area,” says Gowan.

Experimental Approach
Phase 2 of the project, which is nearly complete, is meant to address the water quality problem while restoring an additional 1,200 feet of creek upstream of I-95.

The key concept in the new project is an experimental approach for treating stormwater runoff called regenerative wetlands. Regenerative wetlands are an emerging technology to improve water quality in highly urbanized watersheds, and Phase 2 incorporates these wetlands as part of a traditional stream channel restoration project. “The goal is to remove most forms of pollution—especially the kinds that harm the Chesapeake Bay—from stormwater by the time the stream exits the Ashland city limits,” says Gowan, the Paul H. Wornom, M.D. Professor of Biological Sciences.

The Health of an Ecosystem
Ryan Ott ’19, a biology major, served as an assistant for one year of Gowan’s study.

“The most rewarding aspect was learning how to determine the health of an aquatic ecosystem and being a part of the improvement of Mechumps,” says Ott, who plans a career in wildlife conservation/management. “Working with Professor Gowan was a great experience. He is incredibly knowledgeable and has a talent for explaining complex ecological concepts in ways that students understand. He’s passionate about the work he does both in and out of the classroom, and he cares deeply about the restoration of Mechumps Creek.”

A Transformative Experience
Shannon White ’10, who majored in environmental studies and biology at RMC, took Gowan’s course on stream restoration as a freshman. Midway through the semester, after countless hours spent in the stream collecting data, she realized she didn’t want to become a surgeon—her original career goal.

“I was intensely fascinated by stream ecology and knew it was my true calling,” she says. White went on to earn a master’s degree in fish and wildlife science at Virginia Tech, and whenever she was in Ashland, she stopped by RMC to help Gowan and his students at Mechumps. In some ways, the creek’s transformation symbolizes White’s journey toward finding the right career.

“I remember standing in the middle of this ugly stream 12 years ago and having no idea what I wanted to do with my life,” she says. “Now, as the construction crews are wrapping up at Mechumps, I’m nearing the final phase of my Ph.D. in ecology at Penn State.” White’s research at Penn State was motivated by work she did at RMC, documenting the behavior of individual fish. “When I started my Ph.D., I knew I wanted to research what causes individual variation, and why that variation is important for securing long-term population survival in trout,” she explains.

At Penn State, White was awarded a fellowship from the National Science Foundation that helped her grow as a scientist and conduct research that is changing the way trout fisheries are managed. “As I near the end of my Ph.D., I am constantly grateful for the RMC faculty who helped me forge a rewarding career path,” she says.

Thinking Ahead
The restoration project continues to be a vehicle to teach RMC students.

Students in Professor Michael Fenster’s freshmen-level course, Environmental Problem Solving, are currently planning how to best monitor the effects of Phase II. They are also planning a five-year monitoring program, and Gowan will implement their design over the next five years. Fenster’s students are working closely with Stantec, the company that designed the regenerative wetlands.

Gowan predicts that, at a minimum, regenerative wetlands in Ashland will prevent approximately 520 tons of sediment, 1.2 tons of nitrogen and 0.6 tons of phosphorus from reaching Chesapeake Bay over a 20-year period. “If effective,” he says, “regenerative wetlands could be incorporated into stream restoration projects planned for urbanized locations throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”

Funding for Phase 1 of the restoration plan was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ($155K) and the Town of Ashland ($64K). Phase 2 was funded by NFWF ($200K), the State Local Assistance Fund through the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality ($215K), the Town of Ashland ($36K), and in-kind matching gifts from Stantec and R-MC.