by:

Edwin A. Christopher, Jr.

Since 1993, it has been the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) to inspect harvesting operations for water quality degradation. VDOF officials will notify landowner/logger immediately when water quality violations take place as well as identify the “potential” for non-compliance. Potential problems are based on what “might” happen in the next rainfall event and through inspections of best management practices (BMPs). Such decisions can be controversial with the landowner or logging contractor since technically, “nothing has happened yet.” In Virginia, forestry operations are inspected through two different processes. The first process is performed at the local level by VDOF foresters. This equates to approximately 4,000 site visits annually throughout the state. The second process occurs when a team of VDOF personal perform, a random biannual audit of 30 sites, specifically looking for BMP effort and effectiveness. This study was undertaken to provide a quantitative analysis on erosion rates overtime on VDOF random biannual audited harvest sites and to identify key factors of erosion rates within each of Virginia’s physiographic regions. A secondary objective was to provide a greater level of decision support for field staff identifying potential erosion and water quality problems particularly from logging activities and temporary roads. Such a decision support system for field staff, based on this scientific study, will help promote and justify proactive targeted prevention prior to environmentally damaging erosion or water pollution events.