In the interest of improving the environment and our yard we are working with the folks of the Reedy Creek Coalition to do an audit of our yard. In the simplest of terms this is a two part process. Part I, which is what this post is about consists of trained volunteers taking measurements, asking questions, taking soil samples, and a visual inspection of the property.

What is the Reedy Creek Coalition? That question is best answered by the Coalition from their Pre-Audit Information.pdf or check out our previous posts on the Reedy Creek Coalition.

The Reedy Creek Coalition is committed to restoring the health and beauty of Reedy Creek through education, training, and collaboration with all residents and users of the Reedy Creek Watershed and its natural resources. Healthy watersheds are an integral part of vibrant, healthy communities. We also strongly encourage water conservation and other landscape practices that help restore the natural ecosystems that contribute to a healthy watershed.

Find out more about the first part of our Audit after the break.

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From the RTD. It also mentions the audit program which will allow folks to have their property evaluated from a conservation standpoint and point out areas to improve.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will award a $390,000 grant to The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to support a new program for reducing polluted runoff and sedimentation in the Reedy Creek basin. The program coincides with a $1.7 million project by Richmond to restore the historic lake in Forest Hill Park, which had been choked by sedimentation from Reedy Creek on its way to the James River.

This announcement is from the Reedy Creek Coalition (RCC), a local watershed group committed to improving the health of Reedy Creek. During the last several months we have been testing and refining our homeowner watershed protection audit program, an intensive effort to educate our neighbors about how they can help to protect and improve Reedy Creek.

Now that we are preparing to launch the homeowner audit program, we are looking for several committed volunteers who want to become auditors. We will be holding a mini-training for new auditors on Tuesday, June 2, at the Stone House in Forest Hill Park. The training will begin at 7:00 pm and last approximately 90 minutes.

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Earlier this month we posted about the Reedy Creek Coalition.  It was pointed out in the comments that the source we quoted wasn’t completely accurate. This post is to set the record straight and to provide some more information about the Reedy Creek Coalition.

I recently learned of the posting to this newsgroup regarding the meeting between the Reedy Creek Coalition (RCC), the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (Alliance), and Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU).  This posting, which was originally generated from DPU’s blog, contained some misleading information about the activities of RCC.  As a member of RCC who attended the recent meeting with the Alliance and DPU, I would like to make some clarifications.

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From the Department of Utilities website:

The Department of Public Utilities is partnering with the Reedy Creek Coalition to monitor the creek’s water quality and flow, with a shared goal of returning the creek to its natural productivity.

The Department of Public Utilities encouraged the Reedy Creek Coalition to continue to dig leaves and tree stumps out of the creek, which change the flow and direction of the creek and its chemical balance. The two groups are working on setting up monitoring sites to test the water.

The only reason I know about this is the Sierra Club Fall of the James Group Blog.

The next meeting of the Friends of Forest Hill Park will be held on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m. at the Stone House. Topics will include the Reedy Creek Coalition’s watershed project, the Patrick Henry Charter School and its planned use of the park, and the lake restoration project. We will also be signing up volunteers for help with the Reedy Creek project, trails maintenance, invasive plant eradication, and an April 18 park clean up! Light refreshments!