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Friends of the River
The Roanoke River. We fish it. We float it. We drink it.
Much of the watershed’s grassroots constituency, like the River itself, is divided regionally.
In no particular order, here are some groups in southwest Virginia and the broader Blue Ridge region that are advocating for a healthier Roanoke River.
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Float Fishermen of Virginia – Roanoke Chapter
Website: http://www.floatfishermen.org/rvc
With more than one hundred members, FFV’s Roanoke chapter is an active river-focused organization with a voice that can be heard all the way to Richmond. Serious advocacy with serious fun.
Clean Valley Council
Website: http://www.cleanvalley.org
If your child attends public school in the Roanoke area, you can probably thank Clean Valley Council for teaching them the importance of recycling, how a watershed works, and the value of a clean community. C.V.C. also conducts biannual valley-wide clean-ups that result in huge amounts of litter abatement.
Virginia Save Our Streams
Website: http://www.vasos.org
This group is ideal for individuals who want to take a hands-on approach to watershed advocacy. Members of S.O.S. actually train citizens to survey macro-invertebrates (critters on the creek bottom) to ascertain water quality. Getting certified as a monitor is a great way for parents to get their kids outdoors and engaged with the environment in a meaningful way.
Upper Roanoke River Roundtable
Website: http://www.upperroanokeriver.org
In their own words, this group’s goals include: To identify local, regional, and basin-wide concerns and problems. To seek the responsible use, orderly economic development, and conservation of our land and water resources. To provide input to potential management solutions.
If you are interested in the lower portions of the Roanoke River Watershed, you can check out these websites:
Roanoke River Basin Association
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge
A diverse community of citizen advocates is currently working toward a cleaner river.
In the next few years, our community is likely to face diminishing supplies of river water. This will compound issues of water quality and complicate local efforts to manage the river as a public resource. By supporting these groups, we each will be better prepared to speak out on behalf of the river. Our standing as stakeholders of this public trust will be secure.