Opequon Watershed

09/09/2026

This issue is still alive. The CTUB meeting is tonight and you can still comment and express your opinion.

📣 TAKE ACTION TODAY! The Foundation recently discovered the WV Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a stormwater construction permit registration in May 2026 to the Charles Town Utility Board (CTUB) for the raw water line from Sidewinder’s groundwater extraction wells, through the Middleway Historic District, to the site of the proposed industrial bottling plant on the former 3M property. The permit application was not noticed to the public as required by the conditions of the permit. This water line has the potential to irrevocably damage the historic structures in Middleway including the Civil War Hospital, and the permit has major deficiencies. We are taking action, and you can too! Go here for more information and to send a public comment! >>> https://bit.ly/46bHWdP

06/01/2026

Do you have a special passion for unusual plants?

By request, we are cosponsoring a "Wetland Rarities" walk with the Virginia Native Plant Society (VNPS) to look for some of the 20 plant species in the Abrams Creek Wetlands that appear on the Virginia Rare Plants List. Led by Shenandoah University Professor Emeritus Woody Bousquet, the walk will be held on Saturday July 11 from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Space is limited, preregistration is required, and everyone is welcome! VNPS members should sign up through their organization's signup system. Everyone else, including TOW members and Facebook followers, can sign up via the TOW website, where you'll find more details. Here's the link:
https://opequonwatershed.org/event/wetland-rarities/

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/