Blue Ridge Center: BRCES Waters Close Up

Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship

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Scientific and Natural Stewardship

WATERWAYS

BRCES Waters Close Up
Water Quality

BRCES WATERS CLOSE UP
Piney Run is the major stream draining the northern portion of Loudoun Valley, Va. It passes through the center of the Robert and Dee Leggett Foundation property and enters the Potomac River two miles to the north. It is fed by one major tributary, Sweet Run, which drains from the eastern ridgeline. A smaller, unnamed tributary drains west from Short Hill Mountain and enters Piney Run on the Foundation property. A variety of seeps, perennial springs, and seasonal streams feed Piney Run and its two little tributaries.

Tests conducted by Millsaps College and Blue Ridge Center staff have found the streams' water quality to be quite good. Biologically, Sweet Run was found to have less diversity of fish life due to its substantially colder water than Piney Run. Sweet Run contained seven species of fish: Pumpkinseed, white sucker, creek chub, blunt nose minnow, black nose dace, long nose dace, and fantail darter. Piney Run contained 16 species of fish: Pumpkinseed, blue gill, red-breasted sunfish, green sunfish, white sucker, Northern hogsucker, creek chub, blunt nose minnow, black nose dace, long nose dace, silverjaw minnow, yellow bullhead, margined madtom, fantail darter, largemouth bass, and common shiner.

This is a high diversity of fish for a small first order stream. The streams, ponds, and wetlands of the Foundation property host a large number of reptiles and amphibians, including the Virginia-listed threatened wood turtle.

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