New studies chart course to eradicate invasive plants along Thornton, expand Sperryville trails

The Sperryville Community Alliance last year ordered two studies that outline plans for managing invasive plant species along the Thornton River and aspirations for how to maintain and expand the village’s network of trails.

The trail expansion and improvement study was conducted by Luray-based firm Racey Engineering, while the invasive species management study was done by Gainesville-based Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. Both were published in the latter half of 2022 and paid for with a $19,500 grant awarded to the alliance from the nonprofit Krebser Fund for Rappahannock County Conservation.

The alliance has already taken action to implement some of the studies’ recommendations, according to a news release from the organization. The Piedmont Environmental Council helped the nonprofit secure a $15,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry to tackle invasive plant species along the river. The Northern Piedmont Community Foundation’s Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund also recently awarded the alliance a $5,000 grant for trail signage.

Still, many of the details outlined in both studies are merely aspirational but offer a roadmap for how to approach the identified issues and seek funding to help resolve them.

“Our goal is to restore a sensitive riparian area, which is currently 70 percent invasives, into a national example of returning it to native plants and animals,” Community Alliance President Kerry Sutten said in an email. “The Plan itself is a tool to be used everywhere on how to begin to tackle this daunting task.”

Key to attaining that goal is to “preserve and enhance” the tree canopy along the riverside, according to the invasive species management study. Currently, vines are threatening the tree canopy that provides shade for the river. “Maintaining that shade is vital for keeping low water temperatures and high dissolved oxygen levels to ensure good water quality for the trout that inhabit the river,” the study said.

The study also advises that biodiversity be promoted along Sperryville’s trail corridor. “The long-term management of non-native invasive (NNI) vegetation and restoration of native plant communities along the Sperryville Trail Network can provide both ecological uplift and aesthetic enhancement. Much in the same way as a healthy body is able to withstand disease, a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem is more resilient to NNI infestations,” the document said.

To help combat the more than 40 invasive species types along the trail, the study recommends prioritizing those that pose the greatest threat. Hand pulling, mowing or cutting and smothering invasive plans are among the most viable methods to control them. Chemical solutions like herbicides are also recommended, but shouldn’t be overused. Use of herbicides won’t pose a risk to aquatic species. Once invasives are removed, the study suggests restoring native plants.

The purpose of the study is to “inspire a sense of community connectedness where residents and visitors of all ages can relax and enjoy the unlocked natural surroundings of the Thornton River and its watershed and access the village’s many amenities using pedestrian trails as a safe walking environment,” the study said.

EXPANDING AND MAINTAINING VILLAGE’S TRAIL NETWORK

The Racey Engineering study outlines a roadmap for expanding the village’s trail network through the introduction of many different amenities.

Among those are a “nature play area” where children can have opportunities to interact with nature and an “outdoor classroom” that can be visited by schools to conduct lessons outside a traditional classroom.

Notably, the study suggests constructing a pedestrian bridge across the river to be located behind Copper Fox Distillery, 9 River Ln. An alternative to the fixed pedestrian bridge would be a “low water crossing,” or pedestrian ford similar to what is commonly found in the Shenandoah National Park, the study said, providing a crossing using natural or fabricated materials that blend and complement the surrounding river corridor.

It also encourages the installation of various types of signage along the trails, which can provide an opportunity for trail improvements that provide a visual signal of progress to users and can be completed as smaller, less expensive, individual projects, the study said. Signs provide awareness that the alliance can use to bolster community and business support of trail expansion efforts.

“This study is an important step to ensure the walking trails are with a long- term amenity to connect our community and make it more pedestrian friendly,” Sutten said in a statement.