Pughs Run is a perennial stream that runs through a significant amount of forest on its way down the mountain from its point of origin. Once the stream enters the western portion of the Shenandoah Valley, it primarily runs through farmland. The farmland consists of both pastures for grazing livestock and land for crops.
There are certain programs offered by the state of Virginia (and other states as well, but for the purpose of this project we will focus only on Virginia) to create riparian buffers. Examples of these programs are called Best Management Practices (BMP) and are implemented by Conservation Districts in cooperation with producers in the area. Pughs Run is within the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District (LFSWCD) and has been fenced out in certain areas to create riparian buffers. Riparian buffers help repair stream banks, filter nutrients from pastures and cropland and provide natural habitat to native flora and fauna. LFSWCD requires buffer starting from the stream's edge and continuing out toward the farmland of 35-feet.
Multiple springs and drainage's contribute to the creation of this meandering stream. Although there are no significant tributaries, there are certainly a couple of small springs that drain into Pughs Run before it enters the Shenandoah River. The Shenandoah Valley is known for a large amount of natural springs due to the limestone topography and relatively high water table.
No comments:
Post a Comment