Friends of Stafford Creeks Nonprofit organization of volunteer citizen scientists monitoring water quality, advocating sustainable land use policies and watershed protection, and promoting education and stewardship of aquatic and wildlife resources in Stafford County Virginia's Potomac River tributaries. Surveyors of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV)

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Submerged Aquatic Vegetation or SAV is one of the most important resources of Stafford's waters. Today, only a small percentage of what used to exist is present.

Bay grasses are a restoration priority because of their significance as food for waterfowl and habitat for blue crabs and juvenile finfish. The steep decline in bay grasses since the 1960s is believed to be the result of human activity. Chesapeake Bay SAV data consist of aerial photography. Click here to see an aerial of Potomac and Accokeek tidal waters. The shadows near shoreline is believed to be SAV; searchers verify density and species.

Friends of Stafford Creeks have grown bay grasses with middle school students at Rodney Thompson Middle School. After a SAV Festival, the grasses were planted in Accokeek Creek. Photos here.

These species have been surveyed in Accokeek Creek in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Want to learn more; click here to read the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay's May 2008 issue on SAV.

Here is a graph of progress to meet the baywide goal of 185,000 acres of bay grasses. We are less than half way to the goal in 2007.