North Fork Rivanna River Watershed

     The North Fork Rivanna River Watershed is 169 square miles, and comprises one of the two major stream systems that feed the Rivanna River (the other being the South Fork Rivanna River). The headwaters of the North Fork Rivanna River Watershed are in Greene County, and comprise all of the land generally west of Route 29 and south of Route 33 (or in a line from Ruckersville to Elkton). The largest stream in the watershed is the North Fork Rivanna River, and feeder streams include Preddy Creek, Flannigan Branch, Jacobs Run, Flat Branch, Beaverdam Creek, Swift Run, and the Lynch River. Albemarle County communities within the watershed include Stony Point, Advance Mills, and Burnley.
     Land uses within the watershed are very mixed, with wooded slopes of the Blue Ridge in the headwaters, agricultural and forestry lands, commercial areas along Route 29 and 33, and areas of residential development. In general, monitoring has revealed that the North Fork Rivanna carries a high sediment load, and is not as biologically healthy as other streams in the Rivanna Basin. A section of the North Fork Rivanna River is also listed as an "Impaired Water" by the Department of Environmental Quality in the 2002 Impaired Waters report. Based on monitoring conducted by DEQ, the section between the confluence with Preddy Creek down to the confluence with the South Fork Rivanna River was assessed with moderate impairments for aquatic life (General Standard). This means that life in the river is not as healthy as comparable streams in the region.