Opequon Watershed

03/29/2026

We had a great turn out for yesterdays clean-up at the Red Bud Run Trails! 🌲 Thank you to everyone who came out and helped keep our trails clean.

If you missed us yesterday, we have another clean-up today from 1-4! It’s not too late to message us to register. See you soon!

03/24/2026

🌿Join Us for a Trail Clean-Up! 🌿

Help us make a difference along the Red Bud Run Trails, formerly known as the Redbud Run Wildlife Management Area.

We’ll be removing invasive species, trimming overgrowth, and picking up trash to keep our trails beautiful, and we’d love to have you with us. No experience needed, and everyone is welcome!

🗓 Dates:
• March 28 (9 AM – 12 PM)
• March 29 (1 PM – 4 PM)

👟 Please wear closed-toe shoes. Supplies will be provided by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation!

📩 Message us on Facebook to register and get the meeting location details!

Bring a friend and help protect the trails we all enjoy 🌱

03/01/2026

𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆?
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝘄!

To all TOW followers, especially those in Frederick County, Virginia: We need your help! Deadline: March 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) received a permit application (VPA01585) that would allow PFAS-contaminated biosolids (sewage sludge from wastewater plants reused as “fertilizer”) to continue being spread on 4,610.9 acres of farmland in Frederick County without requiring testing, reporting, or limits on PFAS.

This is being spread on your local farms!
See the Fact Sheet below, which was prepared by our friends at the Potomac Riverkeeper Network.

As the fact sheet explains, recent sampling found PFAS, aka forever chemicals, do not break down easily. At wastewater treatment plants, PFAS don’t get removed, they bind to the biosolids.

Why does this matter?

PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily. At wastewater treatment plants, PFAS don't get removed. Instead, they bind to the biosolids created when the sewage sludge is dried.

When those biosolids are spread as fertilizer:
• PFAS stay in the soil
• They can build up over time
• They can contaminate crops, livestock, streams, and wells in the Opequon Creek watershed and surrounding areas

🗣️ We can ask for transparency and stronger protections. Email DEQ before the deadline: March 2, 11:50 p.m. In your message, 1) express your concern about the land application of biosolids, and 2) request a public hearing.

A public hearing means:
✔️ The community and farmers can ask questions/share concerns
✔️ DEQ must address PFAS risks publicly
✔️ The permit can be altered to address health and safety concerns

⏳ **Deadline: March 2 11:59 PM**

📧 Use the template: bit.ly/FrederickCoVPA
Send to: [email protected]
More Information: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/4392/137

Please share. Our farmland, wells, and families are worth protecting. 💧🌱

11/11/2025

Today, the Jefferson County Circuit Court heard arguments in Sidewinder’s lawsuit against the Planning Commission. The attorneys for the intervenors, which includes Jefferson County Foundation and other individuals, put forth arguments in support of our briefs in the case. In the end, the Court advised that it would issue a final written order on all counts in the future. The circuit court stated that this written decision would be in favor of the planning commission and intervenors on all counts. We’re grateful for the outcome today and the thoughtfulness and care the Court showed the intervenors and this case. We are thankful for the bravery of the planning commissioners to hold the course and stand by their decision. And we appreciate the persistence and dedication of the other intervenors, and we are thankful to all of you —— our supports —— without whom we could not do this work. The court’s final order will be forthcoming and Sidewinder’s legal team may be interested in appealing this decision. We need to be ready. Please donate to support this critical work to protect the health, heritage and natural resources we all rely on in Jefferson County.

https://www.jeffersoncountyfoundation.org/donate/

09/15/2025

See you at the Native Plant Festival (formerly the Tree Festival) at Jim Barnett Park in Wi******er, Virginia. The festival takes place on Saturday October 4 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Enjoy the Audubon Arboretum 🌳, where festival activities take place.

08/29/2025

Spots Still Open for “September Wildflowers and More” with Dr. Woody Bousquet! Click the link to sign up. Virginia Master Naturalist Program Potomac Valley Master Naturalists Shenandoah University Alumni Association

Discover some of this site’s marsh wildflowers and typical late summer birds. Get your questions answered about this special place -- Wi******er’s first formally protected nature preserve.

07/10/2025

“September Wildflowers and More” – A Nature Walk in the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve, Wi******er, VA. Sunday, September 7, 2025, 1:00-3:00 p.m. (rain date: Sunday, September 14, same time). Click on image for details and to register on our website.

Discover some of this site’s marsh wildflowers and typical late summer birds. Get your questions answered about this special place -- Wi******er’s first formally protected nature preserve.

07/03/2025

Friends of the Opequon Watershed, please make your voices heard. Please come to the Planning Commission Meeting July 8 at 6:30PM at the County Commission Meeting Room located in the lower level of the Charles Town Library (side entrance on Samuel Street) and join the demonstration in support of public participation. Bring your signs and tell your planning commission representatives they need to hear us to represent us.

04/11/2025

Tuscarora Creek clean up this Saturday. April 12. Rain or shine. The rainbarrel workshop is filled.

Enter address in top right corner of the map and single click on blue shaded structure to see your estimated phased-in fee. The fee will be phased in over 3 years.

02/13/2025

For those who appreciate Opequon Creek and our greater watershed, please help us plan our activities for 2025 and beyond and complete our brief questionnaire. We look forward to your comments and support.

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02/11/2025

02/03/2025

Our friends at Conservation West Virginia submitted a great summary in opposition to Mountain Pure. (The photo is Lake Louise, the headwaters of Turkey Run, a tributary of the Opequon.)

Groundwater is a public resource that should not be depleted or used in excessive quantities except for the public good. The West Virginia Legislature has declared that the waters of the state, including groundwater, are valuable public natural resources held by the state for the use and benefit of....