RD280 - Status of Virginia's Water Resources - A Report on Virginia's Water Resources Management Activities, October 2008


Executive Summary:
This annual report, submitted to the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly in accordance with Chapter 3.2 of Title 62.1 of the Code of Virginia, describes the status of the Commonwealth’s surface and ground water resources, provides an overview of climate conditions and impacts on water supplies in the Commonwealth, and provides an update on the Commonwealth’s Water Resources Management Program for Calendar Year 2007.

Virginia has an estimated 51,021 miles of streams and rivers and can be divided into nine major watersheds. Annual statewide rainfall averages almost 43 inches. The total combined flow of all freshwater streams in the state is estimated at about 25 billion gallons per day. The 248 publicly owned lakes in the Commonwealth have a combined surface area of 130,344 acres. Additionally, many hundreds of other small privately owned lakes and ponds are distributed throughout the state. Other significant water features of Virginia include approximately 236,900 acres of tidal and coastal wetlands, 808,000 acres of freshwater wetlands, 120 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline, and more than 2,300 square miles of estuaries. A summary of Virginia’s surface water resources is provided in Appendix 1.

The climate in 2007 was characterized by below average rainfall (Climatology Office, University of Virginia), and above average temperatures (2007 Annual Climate Review, National Climatic Data Center, NOAA). Dry conditions in late winter were followed by a short period of above average rains in late April, with dry conditions persisting through summer into early fall. A combination of above average temperatures coupled with below average rainfall in September and early October resulted in elevated evapotranspiration and aggravated an already stressed hydrologic system. This culminated with an official statement by Governor Kaine urging localities to update drought plans and ordinances, and to begin preparations to implement those plans, and urging the citizens of the Commonwealth to adhere to any restrictions outlined by their local governments and public waterworks. The severity of drought conditions eased throughout much of the Commonwealth due to heavy rains later in the month of November. These rains were significant enough to elevate or stabilize stores in most of the states larger water supply reservoirs. Meteorological conditions such as those experienced in 2007 tend to impact water resources in two ways: 1) increasing demand from meteorologically sensitive areas such as irrigation and warm season urban uses, and 2) elevating evapotranspiration which reduces natural flows in streams. Both of these factors have the net effect of reducing the supplies of stored water and also reducing the rate at which these stored supplies are replenished.

The Office of Surface and Ground Water Supply Planning resides within DEQ’s Water Division. The Office consists of four programs: Surface Water Investigations, Ground Water Characterization, Water Supply Planning, and Water Withdrawal Permitting (Sections III-V, pp. 4-12). The Office of Surface and Ground Water Supply Planning staff strives to collaborate with our partners in State and Federal programs to support local water resources planning. Significant Office of Surface and Ground Water Supply Planning programmatic highlights for 2007 include:

• Observation of increased demands on the surface and ground water resources (Section VIII, p. 30);
• Consideration of expansion of Ground Water Management Areas (Section VIII, p. 31);
• Acknowledgement of need for secure source of funding for regional water supply planning (Section VIII, p. 32);
• Analysis of 182 surface water, 351 ground water, and 78 TMDL data sites (Section III.A., p. 4);
• Addition of ten real-time ground water stations to the monitoring network (Section III.B, p. 5);
• Review of two draft regional water supply plans and funding of 13 regional water supply plan development projects (Section III.C., p.8-9);
• Funding of seven wellhead protection implementation grant projects (Section III.C, p. 9);
• 250 active ground water withdrawal permits and 123 active permit applications (Section III.D, p. 10);
• Public water supplies accounted for the greatest percentage of the total water use in Virginia (Section IV, p. 13).

Virginia’s current and future economic growth depends on the availability of quality water resources. To assure that water resources are available for future generations, we must manage them wisely. With proper planning, our water resources are capable of serving multiple uses in a balanced manner. In the 21st century, sufficient water to meet our needs will not just happen, our resources must be continuously planned for so that they remain available to us and are protected from pollution and over use.