Grease Creek was impaired for 16 years before Virginia finally had enough evidence to remove it from the list. The Buckingham County creek was first flagged in 2008 because of elevated E. coli readings. Its latest assessment tells a different story, with the 10.74-mile recreational segment meeting state water-quality criteria.
That change did not come from one dramatic cleanup along the creek. It followed years of work across the surrounding watershed, where runoff and other pollution sources can reach streams. Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality now lists Grease Creek among its water-quality success stories for 2026.
