Southwest Virginia's Big Laurel Creek - Whitetop Laurel Creek Watershed Study

Two important special threats and challenges facing the Big Laurel Creek – Whitetop Laurel Creek watershed are increased development and land use changes and habitat fragmentation particularly aquatic habitat.  The first special threat and challenge facing the watershed is continued and potentially increased residential and commercial development, with the resulting land use changes. An example of the changed hydrological response of a watershed to increased development and urbanization can be seen on this typical hydrograph.   As the ground cover is changed from more to less permeable (such as forest to farmland or pasture, and farmland and pasture to houses, asphalt and concrete roads) the storm water response changes from a extended, gentle flow to a short, very destructive high flow.                       Courtesy of https://www.slideserve.com/buzz/an-introduction-to-benthic-macroinvertebrates , slid...

  Two large and important organizations are conducting watershed stewardship in the Big Laurel Creek – Whitetop Laurel Creek watershed.   They are the United States Forest Service (USFS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the non-governmental organization, The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Following the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in late 2024, the USFS partnered with TNC and other organizations to begin a comprehensive watershed restoration program in the storm damaged areas across the Southern Appalachians.     The initial focus in southwest Virginia is to conduct watershed conditions surveys and prioritize recovery efforts in the South Fork Holston River watershed.   The Big Laurel Creek – Whitetop Laurel Creek watershed is one of the four targeted South Fork Holston River watersheds included in the initial focus. The USFS and TNC agreed to use the USFS National Watershed Condition Framework as a starting point for deve...

  (Note that this blog entry will be updated with more information after the 2025 Federal Government shutdown is over.) The Big Laurel Creek – Whitetop Laurel Creek watershed recently  experienced a catastrophic flood event due to   the remnants of Hurricane Helene during 23-28 September 2024.   (The watershed has not experienced a drought as far as I can tell from the historical records available.)   An excellent presentation of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is:   Helene in Southern Appalachia, One year later: An event analysis and how we move forward, by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Asheville, North Carolina, September 17, 2025 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8887acbd2dbd4d28a68e79fe53cbfaa3   The United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream gage station nearest to the Big Laurel Creek – Whitetop Laurel Creek watershed outfall is gage number 03473000, named S(outh) F(ork) HOLSTON RIVER NEAR DAMASCUS, VA, lo...

The Big Laurel Creek – Whitetop Laurel Creek watershed, located in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee, USA, is unique and special for many reasons, but three important features that I would like to highlight are: 1. Home to the nationally recognized Virginia Creeper Trail (VCT), 2. One of the premier trout fishing stream in Virginia and the southeast United States, and  3. Critical habitat of the eastern hellbender salamander (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis). Number 1, the Virginia Creeper Trail.   Virginia Creeper trail map / Roanoke Times / collection, courtesy of Hawkinsrails.net The Virginia Creeper Trail (VCT) is a 34-mile (57.4 km) biking and hiking trail from the Town of Abingdon, VA to Whitetop, VA.  The trail is owned and maintained by the Town of Abingdon from Abingdon to Damascus, and the U.S. Forest Service from Damascus to Whitetop.  The trail was created along the old Norfolk and Western railroad right-of-way that was abandoned and sold, and...