The Shenandoah River One of the Most Polluted in the Nation

The environmental group American Rivers has named The Shenandoah River one of the most polluted in the nation - the fifth most polluted to be exact.

This is not good news.

I own a cabin on The Shenandoah below Front Royal and felt things were getting better. I remember how bad things were when the Avtex Fibers plant was still open and dumping their toxic waste into the river. Fishing was terrible (you still shouldn't eat the fish from the Shenandoah), and wildlife was disappearing. In recent years, I felt that things were on a comeback - fishing had picked back up and you were seeing different types of wildlife reappear. I believe there have even been a few bald eagle spotting.

For those that don't know the history of the Avtex Fibers plant, click here. To make a long story short, the Avtex plant was designated a "Superfund" site by the EPA. The EPA reserves the term "Superfund" for the most urgent environmental clean-up spots. I believe the entire clean-up process at the Avtex site took about 15 years from start to finish.

American Rivers had this to say about the state of The Shenandoah;

"One of America's most storied rivers, the peaceful Shenandoah is facing an onslaught of development that threatens the tranquility and clean water that have attracted people to the river for centuries. County governments along the Shenandoah have a rapidly-closing window to get a handle on runaway development before it changes the character of the river and valley forever. "

Let's hope our County governments take note of this sooner rather than later.