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By RUSTY DENNEN
Friends of the Rappahannock is synonymous with river protection in the Fredericksburg area.
Now the conservation group is looking to expand its efforts downstream to the Chesapeake Bay with a new program aimed at boaters and homeowners.
"Pump for the Rivah," modeled after a cleanup initiative in Solomons, Md., seeks to have boat owners dispose of waste at approved marina dump stations.
In addition, homeowners with septic tanks along the Rappahannock and its tidal creeks are asked to have them regularly pumped and inspected. That's meant to support the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act. In Fredericksburg and most of the surrounding counties, and east into the Northern Neck, the Bay Act requires that septic tanks be pumped every five years.
Despite years of public education campaigns, "People are still dumping their boat [sewage] directly into the river," said John Tippett, FOR's executive director.
Along the shore, malfunctioning septic systems overflow, with the same result.
Bacterial contamination from many sources--primarily human and animal waste--has caused the closure by the Virginia Department of Health of numerous shellfish beds.
According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, nutrient pollution is the most serious threat to bay water quality. Nitrogen and phosphorus promote algae growth, which clouds the water and robs oxygen from fish and other marine organisms.
Boat waste and runoff from improperly maintained septic systems on land contribute to the problem.
Bob Wayland, a longtime FOR member who lives in White Stone in Lancaster County at the mouth of the Rappahannock, stopped on Solomons Island last year while sailing the bay with his wife.
A poster at the marina advertising the "Pump for the Bay" project by the Calvert County, Md., Environmental Commission, caught his eye.
"It focused on septic systems and it seemed like a good idea to me," Wayland said. "I thought it would be a good idea to include boaters also."
He talked with Tippett, and Pump for the Rivah was born. It was officially launched last week.
FOR put up some seed money and Wayland, the volunteer project coordinator, began contacting marinas and septic tank pumpers to enlist their help as sponsors.
"We want to try to raise awareness about good sewage management to protect the aquatic resources that we all hold dear," Wayland said.
He has some expertise in that area. Before retiring several years ago, Wayland, 56, worked for the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, creating national policy regarding boat waste and septic systems. He joined the agency in 1974 and retired in 2003.
So far, about a dozen marinas have agreed to display "Pump" fliers, and to chip in $50 apiece to help cover program costs as sponsors.
Some, Wayland said, donated extra money to help out. Many marinas provide boat sewage-tank pumping free; some do it for a nominal fee. Marinas benefit because environmentally conscious customers will seek out "green" marinas and buy boating supplies, drinks and food while they're there.
Marinas have already gotten onboard bay cleanup efforts. In 1999, Virginia launched its Clean Marina Program, introducing best-management practices to keep toxic chemicals, fuel and sewage out of the water. Thirty-one marinas, including some in the Fredericksburg area, have been certified by the state.
Wayland has had little interest so far from septic tank companies. Only one, Marshall's in Fredericksburg, has signed up as a sponsor.
He expects that to change as the word gets out. The program would benefit participating septic tank contractors by reminding people that tanks must be regularly pumped and inspected.
"You can't just flush and forget it," Wayland said. Few communities in the rural Northern Neck--the peninsula between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers--are connected to public sewerage, and many of the private septic systems are old.
Pump for the Rivah fliers and posters describe the program and direct people to the Web site riverfriends.org/pump.html. It connects people with participating marinas and septic tank cleaning contractors.
"Our program is designed to give incentives to reward people to do the right thing," Tippett says.
Homeowners using approved contractors can enter a drawing to win $300; boat owners can win $75 for pumping at an approved marina.
Both Tippett and Wayland are betting that Pump for the Rivah will have the dual benefit of improving water quality and bringing new members to FOR. And it could lead to an FOR chapter in the lower Rappahannock basin.
Although the group has already worked with officials in the town of Warsaw and in Richmond County to promote low-impact development, "This is our first larger-scale downriver initiative," Tippett said.
To reach RUSTY DENNEN:
Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com
