The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission provides general techincal assistance to local, state, regional, and federal agencies, citizens, watershed groups, and other stakeholders on a wide variety of water resources and environmental planning efforts. Additionally, the Regional Commission's library houses numerous documents and resources, available for review and circulation, covering a wide variety of environmental topics.
New - Greater Roanoke Regional Water Supply Plan - Public Information Meeting
Wednesday May 21, 4:30-7:30 pm, Vinton War Memorial
The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission will host a community meeting to present information on the Greater Roanoke Regional Water Supply Plan and solicit stakeholder input on issues regarding water supply and use. Click on the following link for more information.
Greater Roanoke Regional Water Supply Plan - May 21 Public Meeting- Announcement (PDF)
Greater Roanoke Regional Water Supply Planning Project
The Regional Commission is assisting in development of a regional water supply plan, as mandated by the Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Regulation (9 VAC 25-780). Localities participating in the regional water supply plan include the Counties of Bedford, Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke; the Cities of Bedford, Roanoke, and Salem and the Towns of Boones Mill, Buchanan, Fincastle, Rocky Mount, Troutville, and Vinton. Draper Aden Associates (DAA) is the regional water supply plan consultant. Additional information is available from the Virginia Department of Environmental Equality Water Supply Planning Program at http://www.deq.state.va.us/watersupplyplanning.
- Phase I (FY 2007) - Phase I was funded, in part, by a $30,000 grant from the FY 2007 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Competitive Grants Program. Additional funding and in-kind contributions were provided by participating local governments and Region Commission staff. Phase I work products developed by DAA will be utilized in Phase II and completion of the regional water supply plan.
Regional Water Supply Plan - Work Plan (197 KB)
- Phase II (FY 2008) - Phase II builds upon water supply information developed as part of Phase I and the 2003 Long Range Water Supply System Study. The Regional Commission received $20,000 in funding from the FY 2008 DEQ Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Competitive Grants Program to assist in completing the Phase II and development of the regional water supply plan. Phase II is also being funded by $200,000 cash and in-kind contributions from the partipating local governments and the Regional Commission.
Alleghany Highlands Regional Water Supply Plan
The Regional Commission is currently assisting Allehgany County, the City of Covington, and the towns of Clifton Forge and Iron Gate in development of a regional water supply plan. The Regional Commission, on behalf of the participating localties, received $10,000 to assist in completing the initital phase in development of a regional water supply plan from VDEQ's FY 2008 DEQ Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Competitive Grants Program.
Roanoke Valley Long-Range Water Supply System Study
The Long-Range Water Supply System Study, which was conducted by Black & Veatch Corporation, was completed in July 2003. The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission provided coordination and technical support to the study. The study was funded by the participating local governments and from a grant provided by the Fifth Planning District Regional Alliance. The principal purpose of the Long-Range Water System Supply Study was to analyze existing water supply system sources and facilities, examine future water needs, and identify possible solutions to satisfy anticipated growth in the greater Roanoke region over the next 50 years. Local governments participating in the study included the counties of Bedford, Botetourt, Franklin and Roanoke; the cities of Roanoke and Salem, and the town of Vinton.
The Long-Range Water System Supply Study and related documents are available online by clicking on the following links:
Long-Range Water Supply System Study (PDF, 2.7 MB)
Long-Range Water Supply System Study: Summary of Alternatives and Recommendations (PDF, 1.42 MB)
Copies of the study are available for review at the Regional Commission library and at Roanoke Valley area public libraries. Printed copies of the study are available for purchase at the Regional Commission for $15 each. To request a printed copy or for more information please contact the Regional Commission.
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
Roanoke Valley - Alleghany Regional Commission is developing Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) reports impaired stream segments in the region. The Commission has selected Map Tech, Inc. and WPI to perform the necessary hydrologic modeling for the project. For more information, click on the TMDL website available at http://www.rvarc.org/tmdl/index.htm.
Ozone Early Action Plan
The goal of an EAP is to develop a comprehensive strategy that will bring the area into attainment of the 8-hour ozone standard by 2007. We will achieve this goal by selecting and implementing local ozone precursor pollutant control measures that when combined with other measures on the state and national level, are sufficient to bring the area into compliance with the standard. For more information on the EAP and air quality click on the following links:
Ozone Early Action Plan
EPA's Air Homepage
Multi Modal Transportation
Through the Roanoke Valley MPO, the Rural Transportation Planning program, and the Ride Solutions program, the RVARC works to encourage alternative, mutli-modal transporation choices, such as carpooling, public transit, bicycling, or walking. For information on alternative transportation planning in the region, click on the following links:
Transportation
Ride Solutions
Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan
The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission has received funding from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to develop a regional Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan. Localities nationwide are required to adopt a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan by November 2004 in order to be eligible for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding for Presidentially declared disasters. The objective of this project is to develop a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan for the Roanoke Valley - Alleghany Regional Commission. The Plan will focus on natural disasters and their potential impacts. For more information click on the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan link.
Storm Water
The NPDES Phase II Storm Water Program, which became effective on March 10, 2003, is intended to further reduce adverse impacts to water quality and aquatic habitat by instituting the use of controls on the unregulated sources of storm water discharges that have the greatest likelihood of causing continued environmental degradation.
Localities in the region particiapting in the NPDES Phase II Storm Water Program include the cities of Roanoke and Salem, the couties of Roanoke and Botetourt and the town of Vinton. Several localities in the region are working cooperatively to address several of the minimum control measures. For more information Phase II activities for particpating localites in the region, click on the following links:
City of Roanoke
City of Salem
Roanoke County
Botetourt County
Explore Park
For more storm water information click on the following links:
Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
EPA's NPDES Stormwater Program homepage
Storm Water Phase II Final Rule Fact Sheet Series
Virginia Urbanized Areas - Map
Stormwater Managers Resource Center
James River Tributary Strategy
As part of the Chesapeake Bay Program, strategies for all major bay tributaries are being revised. The James River watershed strategy was developed by upper, middle, and lower James work groups working with DCR and EPA. For more information click on the following links:
Tributary Strategy
Chesapeake Bay Program
Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee
The Virginia Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee was established in the executive branch of state government as an advisory committee to the Virginia delegation to the Roanoke River Basin Bi-State Commission. Participants from the region serve on the VRRBAC. For more information on the VRRBAC click on the following link.
Virginia Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee
Additional Resources and Links
Local Government Environmental Assistance Network
US Environmental Protection Agency
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
P.O. Box 2569
Roanoke, VA 24010
Phone: 540.343.4417
Fax: 540.343.4416
Email Us
Last Updated February 8, 2007
