Moormans River Watershed

     The Moormans River Watershed is 78 square miles, and is a major feeder watershed to the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. This reservoir is the major public water supply for Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Major streams within the watershed include the Moormans River, Doyles River, Rocky Creek, and Wards Creek. The headwaters of the watershed are in the Shenandoah National Park (North Fork and South Fork of the Moormans). The Sugar Hollow Reservoir, a public water supply reservoir for Charlottesville and Albemarle County, is located near the headwaters. Communities in or near the watershed include Browns Cove, White Hall, Millington, and parts of Free Union. The main stem of the Moormans River is both a State Scenic River and a County Scenic Stream (as designated in the County Zoning Ordinance).
     The Moormans is one of the jewels of Albemarle County. It is popular for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and hiking. Monitoring over the years indicates that the Moormans is a clean river with a healthy population of aquatic organisms. A major issue for the Moormans has been extremely low flows in the headwaters during dry summer months due to lack of flow from the Sugar Hollow Reservoir (in other words, water being diverted for urban water consumption). Currently, the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority maintains a voluntary low-flow release from the reservoir during the summer months.