Blackwater/Ivy Creek Watershed encompasses a significant tributary to the James River (and Chesapeake Bay) with origins in Campbell and Bedford Counties before flowing through the city of Lynchburg and entering the James downtown. The Ivy Creek portion drains primarily farmland and residential development up the the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Development pressure is increasing on this portion of the watershed, particularly in the areas adjacent to Lynchburg City. It flows into Blackwater Creek at the Blackwater Creek Trail Park in the middle of town. The Blackwater Creek system develops from three headwater streams: Burton/Rock Castle, Dreaming and Tomahawk Creeks. These three creek systems face tremendous development pressure and are currently very incised and eroding rapidly delivering high sediment loads to the James River.
The most significant feature on this system is College Lake. This lake serves as a sediment basis filling rapidly as erosion has become severe. University of Lynchburg in association with Lynchburg City monitors this stream system annually in early April to assess its health and determine management goals and objectives. This information is presented as a written document, powerpoint presentation and data collected.