WATERCOURSES AS LANDSCAPES IN THE U.S.

VIRGIN ISLANDS:
STATE OF KNOWLEDGE

Photograph courtesy of Julie Wright

Prepared by:
Lloyd Gardner, Stevie Henry, Toni Thomas

Water Resources Research Institute

University of the Virgin Islands

October 2008

This report is a product of the 2007 Water Resources Research Institute grant program,
wherein it is identified as Project Number: 2007VI92B.

Disclaimer
The research on which this report is based was financed in part by the U. S. Department of
the Interior, United States Geological Survey, through the Virgin Islands Water Resources
Research Institute. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views and
policies of the U. S. Department of the Interior, nor does mention of trade names or
commercial products constitute their endorsement by the United States Government.

Acknowledgements
The authors of this report wish to convey their appreciation to all those persons and
institutions that supported this effort, whether through provision of information and materials
or general encouragement. We look forward to your continued support in promoting ghuts as
important resources in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For bibliographical purposes, this document may be cited as:

Gardner, Lloyd, Stevie Henry, & Toni Thomas. 2008. Watercourses as Landscapes in the
U.S. Virgin Islands: State of Knowledge. Water Resources Research Institute, University of
the Virgin Islands. U.S. Virgin Islands.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No:
Acknowledgements ..
List of Tables ..
List of Figures ..
List of Acronyms
..

1
3
3
4

1.

Introduction ..
1.1
Project Rationale
..
1.2
Methodology ..

5
5
6

2.

Framework for Management of Watercourses in the U.S. Virgin Islands

2.1
Policy and Legal Framework ..
2.2
Institutional Arrangements for Ghut Management ..

8
9
17

3.

Benefits of Watercourses in the U.S. Virgin Islands ..

3.1
Ghuts as Landscapes ..
3.2
Ghuts as Wildlife Habitats ..
3.3
Ghuts as Providers of Goods and Services ..
3.4
Ghuts and Historical Heritage
..

21
21
22
23
26

4.

Current Status of Watercourses in the U.S. Virgin Islands ..

4.1
Environmental Quality
..
4.2
Influence of Land-use Practices on Ghuts ..
4.3
Initiatives Relevant to Ghuts ..

28
28
33
36

5.

Major Issues Relevant to Ghuts in the U.S. Virgin Islands .

42

6.

Future Demand for Ghut Services

..

52

7.

Recommendations for Design of a Ghut Management Program

..
7.1
Scope of the Proposed Management Program
..
7.2
Areas of Focus for the Proposed Management Program
..

54
54
54

Epilogue
..
References
..
Glossary of Terms
..

56
57
60

Appendix 1:
Appendix 2:
Appendix 3:
Appendix 4:

61
63
64
68

Biographical Sketch of Project Team ..

Contributors of Information and Materials ..
Community Uses of Ghuts in the U.S. Virgin Islands
..
1994-2007 Comparative Analysis for Benner Bay/Jersey ..
Watershed, St. Thomas

LIST OF TABLES
Page No:
Table 1:

Confirmed Sightings of Rare Wildlife Species in Ghuts (2003-2008)

29

Table 2:

Wildlife Records Anecdotal Information

30

Table 3:

Ghuts of Interest

48

LIST OF FIGURES1
Page No:
Figure 1:

Digital Terrain Model of St. Croix

10

Figure 2:

Digital Terrain Model of St. John

11

Figure 3:

Digital Terrain Model of St. Thomas

12

Figure 4:

Ghuts of Interest on St. Croix

49

Figure 5:

Ghuts of Interest on St. John

50

Figure 6:

Ghuts of Interest on St. Thomas

51

Figures 4-6, showing the Ghuts of Interest on the three islands, can also be viewed at
http://cdc.uvi.edu/ghutsproject.htm.

LIST OF ACRONYMS
CDC

Conservation Data Center

CES

Cooperative Extension Service

DPNR

Department of Planning and Natural Resources

DPW

Department of Public Works

EAST

Environmental Association of St. Thomas

EDA

Economic Development Authority

GIS

Geographic Information Systems

HEC

Hydrologic Engineering Center

NPS

National Parks Service

NWS

National Weather Service

USDA

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USGS

U.S. Geological Survey

USVI

United States Virgin Islands

UVI

University of the Virgin Islands

VICD

Virgin Islands Conservation District

VIDA

Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture

VI-EPSCoR

Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

VINP

Virgin Islands National Park

VIRC&D

Virgin Islands Resource Conservation & Development Council

WRRI

Water Resources Research Institute

WATERCOURSES AS LANDSCAPES IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS:

STATE OF KNOWLEDGE

1.

INTRODUCTION

Streams were traditionally the major source of freshwater in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In
addition, the streams, and the watercourses through which they flowed, provided food and
recreational opportunities for humans, as well as habitats for flora and fauna.
Since the 1960s, development pressures have impacted negatively on these streams and
watercourses, by changing the land-use patterns in the associated watersheds, and in some
cases, altering the watercourses themselves. These changes affected the consistency and
volume of stream flow, resulting in the need to develop other sources of potable water,
notably wells and community catchments. The existence of these alternate sources of water
reduced the level of attention paid to streams and the protection of watercourses. This lack
of attention resulted in the situation where, in recent times, watercourses are used as dumping
grounds for construction debris, household and commercial solid waste, and receptacles for
overflow from municipal sewerages. The general community perception appears to be that
watercourses (or ghuts as they are locally called) are useless places that are best filled or
cleared to make space for buildings.
However, some of the traditional uses of streams and watercourses still continue, and for
some groups, such as farmers on St. Thomas, runoff channeled by watercourses still form the
major source of water for agriculture.
Though much is not known about the current ecological status of the streams, the habitat
value of watercourses is considered to be high, due to the fact that these watercourses (ghuts)
form some of the most diverse habitats in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), and are therefore
highly valuable from an ecological perspective (Devine et al, 2004, and Thomas and Devine,
2005).
Unfortunately, watercourses remain threatened landscapes, with direct and indirect adverse
impacts resulting from construction activities, poor waste disposal practices, and poor land
management practices.

1.1

Project Rationale

The University of the Virgin Islands-Cooperative Extension Service (UVI-CES), as part of

its Natural Resources/Environmental Management and Water Quality Programs, promotes
awareness of ghuts as important riparian habitats protected by USVI law. This program by
CES focuses on the role of ghuts in the protection of wetlands and coastal water quality, as
well as the contribution to the scenic beauty and recreational potential of the islands.
Additionally, other departments within UVI conduct research and undergraduate teaching on
streams and ghuts. Recent studies conducted as part of the United States Geological
5

Surveys State Water Resources Research Institute program, administered by the Water
Resources Research Institute, noted the continuing use of ghuts for water supply and
recreation. Both the studies and the ongoing programs of CES also identified a significant
level of interest concerning ghuts on the part of some individuals and community groups.
Despite this continuing interest in ghuts and demand for water resources provided by ghuts,
and despite the fact that watercourses are protected by law, there is no program that focuses
directly on the protection or management of this particular resource. This lack of attention
results in lack of enforcement of the relevant laws, even when community interests have
expressed concerns regarding the impact of specific development activities on watercourses.
How does a community continue to degrade a resource that was used extensively in the past,
which many of its members remember fondly, and that continues to provide goods and
service to the community? This contradiction demanded an answer. One assumption was
that the community is consistently bombarded with information concerning environmental
protection programs, but those programs do not focus to any significant extent on the benefits
to the community. It was therefore suggested that greater attention would be given to
watercourses if they were treated as a resource base that potentially could provide significant
benefits to the community, such as the provision of recreational spaces for residents and
visitors.
This project, titled Revitalization of Guts as Urban Recreational Spaces in the U.S. Virgin
Islands, was designed to test the above assumption. The findings were to be used to develop
a framework within which a watercourse (ghut) protection program can be established by the
relevant natural resource management agencies and research institutions in the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
The objectives of the project were:
(a)
Determination of the state of knowledge concerning ghuts in the USVI;
(b)
Review of the current programming relevant to ghuts/streams;
(c)
Preparation of a draft policy and plan for ghut management;
(d)
Seek endorsement of the ghut management program by the relevant public sector and
research institutions, using a peer review process (in a workshop format) for plan
review and finalization; and
(e)
Development of a demonstration activity involving one site each on St. Croix and St.
Thomas.
This report is therefore one of three major outputs from the project, and focuses on the state
of knowledge concerning watercourses in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

1.2

Methodology

The information for the state of knowledge review was compiled primarily from existing
literature (including gray literature). Compilation of programmatic information from the

various institutions and stakeholders was used to complement the literature. Information on
the use of ghuts by individuals and community groups was obtained through a consultation
process, in which stakeholders were interviewed directly, were allowed to submit written
information to the project team (Appendix 1), or through participation in two public
meetings. The public meetings were used primarily for obtaining guidance and feedback on
the proposed ghut management plan and demonstration activities (the other two project
outputs).
The relevant regulatory institutions were contacted in writing to solicit information on
relevant programs. The information was provided either in writing or through interviews
with relevant officers of the institutions.
Maps contained in this report were compiled from the spatial database maintained by the
Conservation Data Center of the University of the Virgin Islands.
The list of persons and institutions contributing information and materials is shown as
Appendix 2.

2.

FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGEMENT OF WATERCOURSES IN THE U.S. VIRGIN

ISLANDS

In the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), a watercourse is commonly referred to as a gut, and the
Virgin Islands Code uses both terms. The literature review undertaken for the preparation of
this report did not reveal the origin of the name adopted in the USVI. Globally, the form of
the word ghut that is used to refer to a watercourse is ghaut. The results of an internet search
suggest that the English Language version of the term is derived from the word ghat, which
is a word from India, and originally meant a pass between mountains. Though ghat was later
translated by the Europeans to mean the mountains in a particular area of India, the term
ghaut became widely used, and had several meanings attached, including:
A pass through a mountain;
A range of mountains;
Stairs descending to a river;
The ford of a river.
Within the countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the form of the word
that is found in law and everyday use is ghaut. Hence reference is found in Montserrat to
watercourses with names such as Mosquito Ghaut and Tuitts Ghaut, while in St. Kitts-Nevis
the names include Business Ghaut and Maddens Ghaut. In the adjacent territory of the
British Virgin Islands, the form of the word is ghut, and they have watercourses with
names such as Spring Ghut and Little Bay Ghut.
It is possible that in the USVI the word was derived as a shortened form of the word gutter,
which could mean (i) a shallow trough below the eaves of a house, (ii) a shallow channel
along the side of a road to carry off rainwater, or (iii) a track made by the flow of water.
Oldendorp (1987) wrote that the streams that come up after a rainfall .. are called
guts or waterguts.
Due to the fact that this report will be disseminated in digital form, and is therefore likely to
be available on the internet, a globally-recognized form of the word will be used in this
report when making a general reference to watercourses. In the case where a watercourse has
been given a name, then reference to that specific watercourse will utilize the formal name,
while a general reference will use the form ghut.
A watercourse is defined in Title 12, Chapter 3, Section 123(b) of the Virgin Islands Code
(Annotated, 2006 Edition) as follows:
For purposes of this Chapter, a natural watercourse means any stream with a
reasonable well-defined channel, and includes streams which have a permanent flow,
as well as those which result from the accumulation of water after rainfall and which
regularly flow through channels formed by the force of the waters.

2.1

Policy and Legal Framework

The policies for water resources management in the USVI are contained in the legal
framework provided by the Virgin Islands Code. These laws reflect an appreciation by the
government that water resources in the USVI are scarce, that the sources are threatened, and
that, due to the drainage pattern created by the physiography of the islands (Figures 1-3), all
development activities on land can result in immediate and deleterious impacts on coastal
waters and marine resources.
Sections of the Virgin Islands Code that have a direct or indirect bearing on the management
of watercourses are:
Title 7, Chapter 3 Soil Conservation;
Title 12, Chapter 1 - Wildlife;
Title 12, Chapter 3 Vegetation Adjacent to Watercourses;
Title 12, Chapter 5 Water Resources Conservation;
Title 12, Chapter 7 Water Pollution Control;
Title 12, Chapter 9A Commercial Fishing; and
Title 12, Chapter 13 Environmental Protection.

(a)

Title 7 Agriculture, Chapter 3 Soil Conservation

Section 41: Declaration of policy.

It is declared to be the policy of the legislature to provide for the conservation
and development of the soil, water and other natural resources of the United
States Virgin Islands, including, but not limited to the prevention and control of
soil erosion, the prevention of flood-water and sediment damage, and the
furthering of conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water.

Implication for Ghut Management:- This focus on the conservation of soil and
water implies that agricultural and other development activities should be carried out
in such a manner as to protect soil productivity and not impair the integrity of water
bodies. Not only does this means adopting methods to prevent erosion and improve
flood control, it also means that waste discharges to watercourses should be
prevented.

(b)

Title 12 Conservation, Chapter 1 Wildlife, Sub-chapter VI Wildlife

Restoration, Section 81: Wildlife restoration projects

Section 81(a) States that the Virgin Islands Legislature accepts the provisions of
an Act to provide that the United States shall Aid the States in Wildlife
Restoration Projects, and for other Purposes. Act of Congress, September 2,
1937, chapter 899, 50 stat.917 (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.), and authorized the
Commissioner (of the then Department of Conservation and Cultural Affairs) to
secure any benefits available under the Act.

Figure 1: Digital Terrain Model of St. Croix

10

Figure 2: Digital Terrain Model of St. John

11

Figure 3: Digital Terrain Model of St. Thomas

12

Section 81(b)(1) Stipulates that wildlife projects may include the selection,
restoration, rehabilitation, and improvement of areas of land or water adaptable
as feeding, resting, or breeding places for wildlife.

Implication for Ghut Management:- Ghuts that are identified as critical habitats
for wildlife should be targeted for attention in wildlife projects, and such action
could include the protection and rehabilitation of said ghuts.

(c)

Title 12 Conservation, Chapter 3 Trees and Vegetation Adjacent to

Watercourses. Sections 121-125 focuses on soil conservation

Section 123 Cutting or injuring certain trees:

(a)
No landowner or other person shall, except as provided in this Chapter,
encourage, procure, cause or aid in the cutting or injury of any tree or
vegetation within 30 feet of the center of any natural watercourse, or
within 25 feet of the edge of such watercourse, whichever is greater.
(b)
For purposes of this Chapter, a natural watercourse means any stream
with a reasonable well-defined channel, and includes streams which have
a permanent flow, as well as those which result from the accumulation of
water after rainfall and which regularly flow through channels formed by
the force of the waters.

Section 124 Authorizes a landowner to cut or injure trees and vegetation on his
own land, with the prior written permission of the Commissioner (of the
Department of Planning and Natural Resources).

Implication for Ghut Management:- This Section is clearly intended to provide for
the maintenance of buffer/filter strips along watercourses. The practice of clearing
vegetation from the sides of ghuts and from within ghuts is obviously in
contravention of this law. Disposal of construction debris and other practices that
damage vegetation are also in violation of this law. The need to address flood control
issues (related to tropical storms) and storm-water management on properties under
development therefore require more attention as they relate to this law.

(d)

Title 12 Conservation, Chapter 5 Water Resources Conservation

Section 151: Definition of policy

It is hereby declared to be the public policy of the Government of the United
States Virgin Islands, in recognition of its sovereign duty to conserve and control
its water resources for the benefit of the inhabitants of the United States Virgin
Islands, that comprehensive planning and regulation be undertaken for the
protection, conservation and development of the water resources of the United
States Virgin Islands to the end that they shall not be wasted and shall be used to
the fullest extent to meet the present and future needs for domestic, agricultural,

13

commercial, industrial, recreational and other public, beneficial purposes. It is

further declared that an emergency condition exists with respect to the
availability of surface and underground water in the United States Virgin Islands
and that restrictions are necessary to prevent overpumping of water from wells,
the depletion of surface and underground water, the intrusion of salt water and
the resultant permanent destruction of underground water reservoirs as sources
of potable water supply.
In view of the foregoing, all waters within the United States Virgin Islands are
hereby declared to be public waters belonging to the people of the United States
Virgin Islands, subject to appropriation for beneficial use in the manner set forth
in this chapter and not otherwise.

Section 152(d) - water shall be construed to include ponds, springs, wells,

and streams and all other bodies of surface or underground water, natural or
artificial, inland or coastal, fresh or salt, public or private.

Section 152(g) This section provides for Vested Rights; that is, beneficial
uses that were in place at the time of passage of the law.

Section 153 Persons wanting to take or withdraw water first need an

Appropriation Permit from the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and
Natural Resources, except such persons withdrawing less than 500 gallons per day
for beneficial use.

Implication for Ghut Management:- This law is obviously intended to provide for
comprehensive water resources management, which currently is not undertaken in the
USVI. Implications specific to ghuts include:
(i)
All ghuts containing intermittent streams or permanent pools are publicly
owned.
(ii)
All uses of streams/water from ghuts must be deemed to be beneficial, which
implies that watercourses should not be used for waste disposal.
(iii) Persons are allowed to appropriate water from watercourses, as long as the
extraction is less than 500 gallons per day. Given the normal flow rates,
extraction of 500 gallons per day of water will have significant negative
impacts on flows, assuming that such an extraction rate can be maintained.
However, this provision probably explains why impoundments were initially
allowed in watercourses.

(e)

Title 12 Conservation, Chapter 7 Water Pollution Control

Section 181: Definition of policy

Whereas the pollution of the waters of the United States Virgin Islands
constitutes a menace to the public health and welfare, creates public nuisances, is
harmful to wildlife, fish and aquatic life, and impairs beneficial uses of water, it is

14

hereby declared to be the public policy of the United States Virgin Islands to
conserve the waters of the United States Virgin Islands and to protect, maintain
and improve the quality thereof for public water supplies, for the propagation of
wildlife, fish and aquatic life, and for domestic, recreational and other legitimate
beneficial uses; to provide that no waste be discharged into any waters of the
United States Virgin Islands without first receiving the necessary treatment or
other corrective action to protect the legitimate beneficial uses of such waters; to
provide for the prevention, abatement and control of new or existing water
pollution; to authorize the United States Virgin Islands to implement the
provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and Acts amendatory
thereof or supplementary thereto, and federal regulations and guidelines issued
pursuant thereto so that permits may be issued by the United Stated Virgin
Islands under the provisions of that Act.

Section 182(f) Defines Waters of the United States Virgin Islands as all
waters within the jurisdiction of the United States Virgin Islands including all
harbors, streams, lakes, impounding reservoirs, marshes, water-courses, waterways, wells, springs, irrigation systems, drainage systems and all other bodies or
accumulations of water, surface and underground, natural or artificial, public or
private, situated wholly or partly within or bordering upon the United States
Virgin islands, including the territorial seas, contiguous zones, and oceans.

Implication for Ghut Management:- The definition of water to include streams and
watercourses re-affirms the legal obligation of the regulatory agencies to protect
watercourses from pollution.

(f)

Title 12 Conservation, Chapter 9A Commercial Fishing

Section 301: Purpose

The Purpose of this chapter is to preserve, manage and protect the fishery
resources, to regulate fishing and to secure its increase and development in all
marine, estuarine and freshwaters within the jurisdiction of the United States
Virgin Islands.

The law is administered by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources

(replacing the Department of Conservation and Cultural Affairs).

Section 320: Fishing in freshwaters, regulations

Fishing is hereby prohibited in any public pond, lake, stream or other body of
freshwater in the territory by any gear, devise or other means except that of
angling; provided, that the Commissioner may grant permission, which shall be
in writing, for the use of other fishing gear, devise or means of any person or
organization for scientific purposes and for live exhibition by any licensed or
publicly owned zoo or exhibitor of aquatic life.

15

Implication for Ghut Management:- The law implies that freshwater fisheries
resources should be protected and managed, and by extension, that includes their
habitats, the ghuts.
(g)

Title 12 Conservation, Chapter 13 Environmental Protection

Section 531: Declaration of Policy

The Legislature of the Virgin Islands hereby determines and finds that the lands
and water comprising the watersheds of the United States Virgin Islands are great
natural assets and resources; and that improper development of land results in
changed watershed conditions such as; erosion and sediment deposition on
lower-lying land and in the tidal waters, increased flooding, gut2 and drainage
filling and alteration, pollution, and other harmful environmental changes to such
a degree that fish, marine life, and recreational and other private and public uses
of land and waters are being adversely affected. In order to protect the natural
resources of the United States Virgin Islands, promote the health, safety and
general welfare of the citizens of the United States Virgin Islands, and to protect
private and public property, the Legislature further finds and determines that it is
necessary to establish by law an environmental protection program for land
development to prevent soil erosion and for the conservation of beaches,
shorelines and the coastal zone of the United States Virgin Islands.

Section 533 Stipulates that an Earth Change Plan is to be approved by the

Department of Planning and Natural Resources before any real property can be
cleared, graded, filled or otherwise disturbed for any purpose or use

Implication for Ghut Management:- This law clearly requires that processing of
Earth Change Permits include provisions for prevention of ghut alteration and
prevention of flooding downslope of the development activity. However, the current
practice for storm-water management, as part of an Earth Change Permit, is to allow
alteration and filling of ghuts. The law was meant to prevent the significant level of
change in drainage patterns resulting from residential development that is currently
taking place in some watersheds. Additionally, the disposal of construction debris in
ghuts is also a harmful environmental change as implied in this law.

Rules and Regulations are promulgated to give effect to the policies and guidance provided
in the Virgin Islands Code. Rules and Regulations of special interest to ghut management
are:
Water Quality Standards for the U.S. Virgin Islands, 2004; and
Territorial Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Rules and Regulations, 2007.

The emphasis is added simply to underscore the fact that the colloquial form of ghut also shows up in the law.

16

(i)

Water Quality Standards for the U.S. Virgin Islands, 2004

This Regulation amended the water quality standards, as provided for by Title 12,
Chapter 7, Subchapter 186 of the Virgin Islands Code. The Regulation accepts the
definition of waters of the Virgin Islands as provided in Title 12, Chapter 7, Section
182(f). The Regulations reaffirms the generally acceptable quality of waters of the
U.S. Virgin Islands by asserting that All waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands shall meet
generally accepted aesthetic qualifications and shall be capable of supporting
diversified aquatic life.

(ii)

Territorial Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Rules and Regulations, 2007

This Regulation is a re-issuance of Title 12, Chapter 7, Subchapter 184 (Territorial
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) of the Virgin Islands Code. Though the
Regulation focuses on water pollution prevention, sub-section 184-45 deals
specifically with storm water discharge from a range of development activities.

2.2

Institutional Arrangements for Ghut Management

The institutions with regulatory responsibilities for ghut management in the U.S. Virgin
Islands are the:
Department of Planning and Natural Resources;
Department of Agriculture; and
Department of Public Works.

(a)

Department of Planning and Natural Resources (http://www.dpnr.gov.vi)

The Department of Planning & Natural Resources (DPNR) was established in 1987, under
Act 5265 of the Government Reorganization and Consolidation Act. One of the main
elements of that Act was the reorganization of the Department of Conservation and Cultural
Affairs to create the Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation and the Department of
Planning and Natural Resources.
Information gathered from DPNRs website states that the agency serves as the agency
responsible for the administration and enforcement of all laws pertaining to the preservation
and conservation of fish and wildlife, trees and vegetation, coastal zones, cultural and
historical resources, water resources, and air, water and oil pollution. DPNR is also
responsible for oversight and compliance of land survey, land subdivision, development and
building permits, code enforcement, earth change permits, zoning administration, boat
registration, and mooring and anchoring of vessels within territorial waters. The Department
formulates long-range comprehensive and functional development plans for the human,
economic and physical resources of the territory. This Agency is mandated to promote,

17

implement, support, maintain and coordinate library and information services and museums,
and preserve items of historical significance in the archives of the Virgin Islands. The
Department is further obligated to formulate functional development plans for the territorys
human, economic and physical resources.
DPNRs website states that it is comprised of eleven (11) primary operating divisions, each
with its own regulatory mandate. The divisions with responsibilities relevant to ghut
management are:
Division of Comprehensive and Coastal Zone Planning;
Division of Building Permits;
Division of Coastal Zone Management;
Division of Environmental Enforcement;
Division of Environmental Protection;
Division of Fish and Wildlife; and
Division of Archeology and Historic Preservation.

Division of Comprehensive and Coastal Zone Planning

The Division has broad responsibility for long-range comprehensive planning, as well
as subdivision and zoning administration. The Division is also charged with
providing information, technical assistance and support to various DPNR divisions,
other USVI government agencies, the private sector, and the general public on
matters such as Business Licensing, Subdivision and Coastal Zone Planning, and
Land and Water Use Planning.
Division of Building Permits
The primary responsibility of the Division is to enforce and regulate building codes
and regulations in the USVI. The major tasks associated with this responsibility
include:
Review of building designs, construction plans, contractor licenses and related
documents.
Evaluation of applications for building permits, issuance of permits, and permit
administration.
Inspection of building and construction sites.
Monitoring of existing building codes and the proposal of new codes and
regulations to address changing demographics, public safety, and environmental
issues.
Division of Coastal Zone Management
The Divisions main charter is to administer the Virgin Islands Coastal Zone
Management Program, which was established by the Virgin Islands Coastal Zone
Management Act (1974). The Coastal Zone Management Program focuses on
management of coastal zone resources by regulating development and carrying out
programs to protect, preserve and, where appropriate, enhance environment quality in
the coastal zone. A major part of its development control responsibilities includes

18

provision of technical support to the Coastal Zone Commission, which reviews permit
applications for development activities in Tier 1 of the coastal zone.
Division of Environmental Enforcement
The Division serves as the law enforcement arm of DPNR, and its primary
function is to enforce all laws applicable to the protection, preservation and
conservation of the natural resources and overall environment of the USVI,
specifically with reference to:
Fish and wildlife;
Antiquities and cultural resources;
Boating safety; and
Conditions stipulated in all permits related to development in the Territory, issued
by the Department of Planning & Natural Resources.
Division of Environmental Protection
This Division is responsible for the protection and conservation of the natural
resources (air, water, and land) of the USVI. The Division has also been delegated
responsibility for environmental protection by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency.
Division of Fish and Wildlife
This Division is responsible for monitoring, assessing, and implementing public
awareness and other activities that help to enhance and safeguard fish and wildlife
resources in the USVI. The Division also plays an advisory role to other DPNR
Divisions and other institutions concerning marine resources and wildlife in the
Territory.
Division of Archeology and Historic Preservation
The Division is responsible for the protection of archaeological, historic, and cultural
assets of the USVI. This includes reviewing rehabilitation work that is eligible
for federal and local tax incentives or federal grants, and for enforcing Acts 6234 and
2258 of the Antiquities and Cultural Act of the Virgin Islands, . The Division also
functions as the Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office, whose duties
include administration of the National Register of Historic Places; surveying and
inventorying of historic places and sites (on land and in coastal waters); reviewing
and ensuring of compliance with federal and territorial preservation laws; historic
preservation planning; securing of technical assistance, implementing of public
education and identifying of cultural resources.

(b)

V.I. Department of Agriculture

The V.I. Department of Agriculture (VIDA) is responsible for soil conservation practices on
land under agriculture, and (based on the V.I. Code) maintaining buffer zones along ghuts.
The Department exercises its authority in regards to ghuts mainly when earth change

19

activities are conducted on properties over which the VIDA has custodianship or on private
lands (St. Croix) when land clearing / preparation work is requested.
The Department also supports the activities of the V.I. Resource Conservation District. The
Virgin Islands Conservation District (VICD) was organized by the Virgin Islands Legislature
to provide for the conservation and development of the soil, water and other natural
resources of the Virgin Islands. The VICD is responsible for the broad soil and water
conservation program set forth in Sections 41-49 of Title 7, Chapter 3 of the Virgin Islands
Code (http://www.pr.nrcs.usda.gov/partnerships/consdistricts.html).
The VICD is
administered by a Board of Directors, comprised of eleven persons. The Directors work
with individuals, organizations and agencies interested in soil and water conservation, land
use planning, watershed protection and flood prevention in the broadest sense to secure their
assistance and support in planning and carrying out VICD's program. In that context, the
VICD collaborates with the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) in an advisory capacity, including review of the Virgin Islands
Conservation Plan prepared by the USDA.

(c)

Department of Public Works

The Department of Public Works (DPW) routinely deals with ghuts through three program
areas:
Road Development The Department designs drains to accommodate rainfall events
of 10-15 year return periods. The role of the Department in the development control
process, relative to drainage issues, is restricted to projects where the development
road intersects with the public road.
Ghut Cleaning Program The Department operates an ongoing program to clean
ghuts, particularly during the hurricane season. This involves bushing the sides of the
ghuts and removal of solid waste from the ghuts (particularly in the areas where the
ghuts are channelized and there is the potential for flooding).
Flood Mitigation The Department undertakes flood mitigation works for roads, as
well as general flood mitigation for properties in flood plains.

20

3.

BENEFITS OF WATERCOURSES IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Both printed and anecdotal information confirm the importance of streams in the past
development of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), and both indicate the significant changes in
the availability of freshwater and the impact that changes in the ghuts had on the Virgin
Islands community.
The literature suggests that the islands comprising the USVI were covered by forests when
the Europeans arrived. Paiewonsky (2005) noted that the ghuts in Charlotte Amalie were
beginning to dry up in the 1690s, and attributed the loss to farming methods in the hills above
the town. He also noted that the significant loss of topsoil, due primarily to the farming
methods, resulted in most farming activities moving to St. John in 1716, and then to St. Croix
in 1733. Lawaetz (1991) noted that the cultivation of sugar cane on St. Croix resulted in
more water running in the ghuts, with new springs starting from around 1750. He further
suggested that the 1800s may have been the century when ghuts flowed all year long; that is,
they were effectively perennial streams. Seaman (1980) claims that early 15th century reports
noted that St. Croix possessed three (3) rivers and sixteen (16) brooks (ghuts). Forman
(1974) stated that the report of the 3 rivers and 16 brooks was made by the French in 1651.
He also noted that as late as 1914 there were a number of perennial streams on St. Croix.
Seaman (1980) noted that perennial streams could be found as late as 1918, with the largest
being the Estate Lower and Bethlehem Guts. Paiewonsky (2005) claims that the Fireburn
Gut (Charlotte Amalie) ran year round with fresh water (was a perennial stream) until
1950.
These and other writings chronicle the impact on drainage from development activity, with
the result being that most ghuts had running water only after heavy rainfall events.
The seasonal nature of the streams has no doubt shaped the public perception of ghuts.
Based on discussions with local environmentalists and staff in regulatory agencies, the
statement can be made that watercourses are not currently perceived by the general public as
providing much benefit beyond acting as channels for surface runoff, especially as it affects
residential and commercial development.
This chapter explores the potential and actual benefits of watercourses/ghuts in the USVI and
the ways in which ghuts are actually used by the community.

3.1

Ghuts as Landscapes

Thoughts of landscapes conjure images of pleasing vistas that are viewed and appreciated
from a distance. Wikipedia (the online encyclopedia) offers a definition of the word that
alludes to the various elements of this feature by stating that A landscape comprises the
visible features of an area of land, including physical elements such as landforms, living
elements of flora and fauna, abstract elements such as lighting and weather conditions, and
human elements, for instance human activity or the built environment. The comparative

21

contributions of the component elements produce a landscape that is characteristic of those

conditions.
The landscapes on St. John and St. Thomas are shaped to a large degree by the ghuts, as the
greater portion of each island is
mountainous terrain.
While the
influence of the ghuts on the shaping
of the landscapes is experienced to a
lesser degree on St. Croix and Water
Island, the large number of ghuts, and
the influence of those ghuts on the
placement and design of buildings,
creates a panoply of landscapes that
make the Virgin Islands an attractive
location for visitors.
Landscapes can also be appreciated by
immersing
oneself
within
the
landscape. In the same manner that a scuba diver has to become immersed in the sea to fully
appreciate coral reefs, a person wishing to fully appreciate the variety of vistas and
experiences offered by ghuts have to be within the ghut. As such, recreational activities
within ghuts have always been a part of the Virgin Island experience, for both individuals
and groups.

3.2

Ghuts as Wildlife Habitats

Thomas and Devine (2005), in typifying the forests in the U.S. Virgin Islands, identified two
distinct forest types associated with watercourses. These forest types are Gallery Moist
Forest and Gallery Shrubland. Gallery Moist Forest is said to grow in ghuts that drain the
larger watersheds, particularly those that occur in the moister areas of the islands. Thomas
and Devine (2005) identified good examples of Gallery Moist Forest as occurring in
Caledonia Gut (St. Croix), Reef Bay Gut (St. John), and Bonne Resolution Gut (St. Thomas).
Forests assist with the maintenance of ecological integrity of ghuts through reduction of soil
erosion, increasing infiltration of groundwater by slowing runoff, reduction of pollutants
entering streams, and provision of habitat for wildlife. Ghuts contain a number of rare and
endangered species of plants (e.g. Eggers Cocks-spur (Erythrina eggersii)), yet inventories
of these areas have not been undertaken.
Ghuts also provide habitats for several species of fauna (Tables 1 and 2), several of which are
rare and endangered. Uses of ghuts by wildlife species include:
(a)

Nesting A large number of bird species has been identified in ghuts. Olasee Davis
confirms the existence of wildlife records, from 1949-1968, which provide
information on nesting, foraging, migration corridors, and watering holes. New
assessments are needed to verify current nesting activity versus foraging and

22

migration uses. The ghuts that accommodate larger trees (e.g. the gallery moist
forest) and permanent pools seem to offer greater (bird) species diversity (Gardner,
2008), and the availability of larger trees in ghuts provide more roost potential for
bats (Jean-Pierre Bacle, personal communication).
(b)

Foraging The permanent pools often contain aquatic fauna that are fished by
other species, such as birds. Insects also congregate around pools, and thus become
foraging grounds for birds and bats.

(c)

Migration Corridors Ghuts form corridors that facilitate the movement of wildlife
species (bats, birds, etc.), an increasingly important facility given the disturbance in
the watersheds and the loss of lower-lying green areas to development pressures.

(d)

Watering Holes Many species of wildlife (birds, iguanas, deer, bats, bees, goats,
etc.) use the pools in ghuts as watering holes. This is particularly important in the dry
season, when freshwater is scarce.

One of the more significant habitat functions provided by ghuts is based on the availability of
permanent pools of water. Ghuts form the most extensive network of freshwater habitats in
the USVI, and are extremely important for several aquatic species that spend part of their life
cycle in freshwater and part in the marine environment.

3.3

Ghuts as Providers of Goods and Services

The role of streams and ghuts in supporting various forms of community development date
from the colonization of the islands, and while the uses may have changed over time, ghuts
continue to provide a range of goods and services to the communities in the USVI (Appendix
3). Goods and services provided over time include:
Water for domestic purposes;
Water for industrial purposes;
Water for agricultural purposes;
Food;
Support to transportation services:
Recreational opportunities;
Living laboratory for environmental education; and
Opportunity for research and teaching.
Provision of Water Streams were the main source of water for domestic purposes in the
USVI in the 18th and 19th centuries, and were still used to a limited degree as late as the early
1960s. Graham (1994) mentions that, prior to the 20th century, Savan Gut was an important
resource to residents in the area, providing water for drinking, bathing, and washing clothes.
Lawaetz (1991) wrote of the Government leasing Punch Spring in 1905 to supply water to
Fredriksted, as well as the later construction of the Creque Dam for the same purpose. Dams
were also constructed during the 19th and 20th centuries in Estate Canaan, Estate Adventure,
Caledonia, and St. George ghuts to (i) control sediment, (ii) enable recharge of the aquifer,

23

and (iii) improve surface water in the streams (Olasee Davis, review comments on draft
report). Historically, ghuts provided water for agricultural purposes on the three main
islands, for irrigation of crops, watering livestock, and production of sugar. Paiewonsky
(2005) wrote about the movement of agricultural activity from St. Thomas to St. John, and
subsequently to St. Croix as a result of the decreased availability of water. Water was also
used to turn waterwheels for generation of power and to support production purposes in the
sugar and rum factories (Lawaetz, 1991). Gardner (2008) noted the construction of ponds at
the end of ghuts by farmers in the Bordeaux area of St. Thomas for the purpose of storing
surface runoff for watering crops.
Provision of Food The literature contains references to the practice (historically) of
collecting freshwater shrimps and fish from streams on St. Croix and St. Thomas (Seaman,
1980). Kesler (1980) also noted that some species of saltwater fish (tarpon, mullet, and
haddoe) were once found in Mint (Diamond) Gut, due to the large connection of the stream
with the sea. Ghuts are no longer a significant source of fish for food, though Gardner
(2008) noted that fish (likely Mountain Mullet) and crayfish are still caught in the Bonne
Resolution Gut (St. Thomas).
Transportation Ghuts may have played a limited role in providing a means of
transportation in the early days of colonization of St. Croix. Kesler (1980) wrote that the
Indians (Arawaks) sheltered their canoes in the quiet water inside the mouth of Mint
(Diamond) Gut, and The small canoes were alternately paddled and carried to St. George
(page 2). He also suggests that English farmers used Mint Gut as a means to transport sugar
and tobacco from farms in the interior to the coast. Salt River provided the means for the
early Amerindian settlers to travel to and from their settlement. There is no evidence that
ghuts are still used for this purpose.
Recreational Opportunities
Recreational activities in ghuts
previously
included
hunting,
bathing, hiking, and catching fish
and shrimp (Lawaetz 1991, Seaman
1980, Seaman 1993, Kesler 1980).
Currently, the primary recreational
activity is hiking, though there is
anecdotal information indicating
that fish is still caught in ghuts
(Gardner, 2008)3. Hiking through
ghuts is a frequent, and apparently
growing, activity undertaken by
individuals and groups. The St.
Croix Hiking Association claims to
use all ghuts on the island of St. Croix for hikes, though the major routes are Caledonia
Valley, Butler Bay, Fountain, Canaan, Bethlehem, and Adventure Stream (Olasee Davis,
personal communication). The St. Thomas Environmental Association mainly uses the
3

Olasee Davis reports that ghuts on St. Croix are still used for catching fish, bathing, washing cars, and hiking.

24

deJongh Gut (St. Thomas) for hiking, though it also uses the Neltjberg Gut (St. Thomas) and
ghuts on St. John. A number of the trails promoted by the Virgin Islands National Park on
St. John traverse ghuts. One of the trails on which the Park conducts guided tours is the Reef
Bay Trail. Private tour companies also conduct hikes on the three main islands, and several
of those hikes are within or traverse ghuts. Data on the frequency and number of persons
participating in the group hikes and/or guided tours are generally not available. Data
provided by the Virgin Islands National Park for the Reef Bay Trail indicate that 3,573
persons hiked that trail during Fiscal Year 2006/07. Information provided by Olasee Davis
indicate that more than 6,000 persons per year participate in hikes that he conducts on St.
Croix. Of that total, hikes to ghuts include more than 5,000 persons per year.
Education Ghuts are increasingly being used as living laboratories to teach science in the
elementary and junior high schools, particularly on St. Croix. Hikes are conducted through
ghuts such as Mahogany Gut and Salt River for schools such as Ricardo Richards, Good
Hope, and St. Croix Educational Complex (William Coles, personal communication). The
V.I. Division of Fish and Wildlife on St. Croix also indicated that it is trying to establish
other hikes for younger students and their families, so that they can be exposed to, and
hopefully appreciate, the
freshwater ecosystems
on St. Croix. The Good
Hope
School
is
developing a lesson plan
for teachers based on the
Mahogany Gut walk
(William Coles, personal
communication).
Programs such as the
Natures Environmental
Role Model Program,
established
by
the
environmental club of
Central High School (St.
Croix),
indicate
an
evolution towards more
structure for such programs (Jesus Espinosa, personal communication).
Research and Teaching Faculty and students at the University of the Virgin Islands
(UVI), as well as visiting researchers, periodically conduct research on water quality or
wildlife in ghuts (Nemeth and Platenberg 2007 and Kelsey 2006). Such research is used in
teaching at UVI, in supporting professionals in obtaining postgraduate degrees, and adds to
the body of knowledge concerning the USVI environment. Use of ghuts by UVI for teaching
has included fieldtrips for the ichthyology class (to survey freshwater fish), the Master of
Science Degree students in marine and environmental science, and visiting college groups
(Yale University and Kansas University - teaching biodiversity and conservation law).

25

3.4

Ghuts and Historical Heritage

The influence of water sources on the location, development, and (in past centuries) the
continuity of settlements is widely known. Similarly, the location of streams and ghuts
influenced the development of villages and towns in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). This
process started with the earliest settlers, when Amerindians used Turpentine Run (St.
Thomas) to travel between the sea and their settlement in Estate Tutu (Righter, 2002).
Similarly, the Arawaks utilised Mint (Diamond) Gut (St. Croix) to establish their settlement
at Estate St. George (Kesler, 1980).
Graham (1994) notes that the three major drainage channels in Charlotte Amalie functioned
not only to perform the task of drainage of storm water, but two of the ghuts divided the city
into three distinctive sections, these being Kongens (Kings) Quarter, Dronningens (Queens)
Quarter, and Kronprindsens (Crown Princes) Quarter. These three ghuts are now identified
as Savan Gut, Garden Street Gut, and Major Gut4. The Savan Gut separates Dronningens
Quarter from Knonprindsens Quarter. This ghut starts higher up in the watershed in the area
of Estate Elizabeth, passes through Estate Staabi (above which it is known as the deJongh
Gut), and passes through Savan on its way to the sea (Woods, 1994). The Garden Street Gut
separates Dronningens Quarter from Kongens Quarter. The ghuts also acted as shortcuts
(passageways) when dry. Major open ghuts, such as Water Gut (Christiansted), were used
more consistently as pedestrian thoroughfares.
The ghuts also influenced the economic and social life of the communities, through the
provision of water for domestic, industrial, economic (such as laundry), and recreational
activities (Section 3.3). Graham (1994) writes that Savan Gut, in fact, represents a kind of
life line of settlement to the multi-cultural diversity of the area (page 13).
Ghuts have left lasting influences on the social fabric of the Virgin Islands communities.
Woods (1994) and Moolenaar (1994) noted that the Banaba Well in Savan not only provided
water to the community, but was also the place from which political candidates and other
vocal members of the community delivered speeches5. Areas in Charlotte Amlie and
Christiansted are still referred to as Upstreet and Downstreet, and even the names of streets
(e.g. Kommandant Gade Over Vaudet [over water]) suggest the past importance of ghuts in
the development of Charlotte Amalie. One housing community on St. Croix, Watergut, is
named after the actual ghut that flowed through the area. Water Gut was historically a major
source of water for Christiansted, and the remains of the well can be seen (alongside the road
leading from the police station to the seaport).

4
5

Nadine Marchena-Kean and Sean Krigger, personal communication.

Like the current behavior of gathering around the office water cooler, in older Caribbean communities, wells
and washing holes also functioned as spaces for a significant level of social interaction. Outside of the
references given above, there is little information on the social functions of water sources in the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Many of the participants in this project agreed that this is one information gap that can best be filled
by interviewing the older members of the community, and they recommended the development of an oral
history project on water and ghuts.

26

Ghuts with known historical resources include:

Savan Gut Historic drainage channel designed and constructed during the Danish
period.
Water Gut Historic feature (well).
Bethelem Gut Remnants of the aqueduct and sugar works.
Living Gut6 Pre-Columbian Taino petroglyphs.
Fairplain Gut Amerindian site located at junction with tributary of Bethlehem Gut.
Salt River Major Amerindian site, and site of Columbus landing.
Magens Bay Gut Amerindian site.
Turpentine Run Tutu Archeological Village (Amerindian site).

The accidental discovery of the Tutu Amerindian settlement, and the paucity of information
on water sources as spaces for social discourse and development, suggest that there is much
more to discover about the historical importance of ghuts in the development of the U.S.
Virgin Islands.

The name is taken from Loftus, 2003. The ghut crosses the Reef Bay Trail, and contains the Petroglyph Pool.

27

4.

CURRENT STATUS OF WATERCOURSES IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

The picture painted by occasional articles in the daily newspapers in the U.S. Virgin Islands
(USVI) and discussions with local environmentalists is one of continuing degradation of
environmental resources, particularly ghuts and other types of wetlands. A 2004 inventory of
wetlands and riparian areas in the USVI (Devine et al, 2004) focused on the development of
an Index of Biological Integrity. One table in the report offers data on the percentage of
wetland/riparian area relative to total watershed area, but offered no information on the status
of the associated resources. Similarly, a 2004 State of the Environment Report for the USVI
(Division of Environmental Protection, 2004) contains a section on wetlands, but no
information on the status of wetlands nor any information whatsoever on ghuts.
Efforts during this project to determine the current status of ghuts in the USVI have relied on
the few reports of studies that are focused on specific resources, and which were conducted
in a small number of ghuts.

4.1

Environmental Quality
Flora and Fauna
A number of studies over the past five years show that a number of wildlife species
still inhabit and/or use ghuts (Loftus 2003, Lindsay and Bacle 2004, Nemeth &
Platenberg 2007, Gardner 2008, and Lindsay et al 2008). This includes a number of
rare and endangered plants and animals (Table 1).
The literature indicates that most of the freshwater fauna found in the U.S. Virgin
Islands (USVI) are native species. The introduced fish species identified in the USVI
are the tilapia and guppy. Platenberg reports non-native fish in Dorothea, Brookman,
Nadir, Perseverance, Santa Maria, and Magens Bay ghuts (Personal communicationMarch 2008), though the species were not confirmed.
In addition to the information provided by the studies, a number of scientists and
environmentalists reported (via personal communication during this project) the
presence of a range of wildlife species (including a number of rare and endangered
species) in ghuts on St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas (Table 2).
Freshwater fauna and other species inhabiting and/or using ghuts face a number of
threats, including availability of habitats (pools and forest structure), solid waste
disposal and effluent discharges to ghuts, removal of ghut vegetation and reduction of
forest cover, sedimentation, highly variable water levels in pools, and physical
alteration of ghuts.
Many of the aquatic faunal species are catadromous, and thus require unimpeded
access from the ghuts to the sea and back. Many of the ghuts have been filled, realigned, or turned into storm drains to accommodate storm-water discharge in urban
areas. Continued alterations of ghuts therefore reduce the chances of catadromous
28

species returning to the freshwater pools in the ghuts. This reduces not only the
species diversity of the U.S. Virgin Islands, but also reduces the amenity value of the
ghuts.

Table 1: Confirmed Sightings of Rare Wildlife Species in Ghuts (2003-2008)

Source
Loftus, 2003
Lindsay &
Bacle, 2004
Nemeth &
Platenberg,
2007

Gardner, 2008

Ghut

Species Observed

Fish Bay Gut, Battery Gut,

and Living Gut
Fish Bay Gut and Battery Gut

Mountain Mullet, Spiney Cheek Sleeper,

Sirajo Goby, American Eel
Fish, shrimp, prawns, and snails;
Erythrina eggersii (Eggers cocks-spur)
Shrimp
- Macrobrachium faustinum
- Macrobrachium carcinus
- Xiphocaris elongata
- Atya lanipes
- Atya innocous
Fish
- Sicydium plumieri
- Agonostomus monticola (Mountain
Mullet)
- Oreochromis spp. (Tilapia)
- Poecilia reticulata (Guppy)
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Mountain Mullet (Agnostomus
monticola)
Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis
mossambicus)
Shrimp (Atya spp. and
Macrobrachium spp.)
Goby (Scydium sp.)
Dragonfly larvae
Red-footed Tortoise (Geochelone
carbonaria)
Birds, iguanas, toads, bees
Red Fig-eating Bat (Stenoderma rufum)

Neltjeberg Gut, Bonne

Resolution (Dorothea) Gut,
and Turpentine Run

Bonne Resolution (Dorothea)

Gut and Contant Gut

Lindsay et al,
Living (Reef Bay) Gut
2008
- One specimen observed in Bonne Resolution Gut on one visit.
- One specimen observed in Contant Gut on one visit.

29

Table 2: Wildlife Records Anecdotal Information

Source

Ghut

Fish Bay Gut, Battery Gut,

and Living Gut
Dorothea (Bonne Resolution)
Gut, Santa Maria ghut,
Neltjeberg Gut, and Reef
Bay ghut (Living Gut)
Caledonia Gut, Creque Gut
and dam,
Caledonia Gut

47

Species Observed
Mountain Mullet, Spiney Cheek Sleeper, Sirajo
Goby, American Eel
Red Fig-eating Bat (Stenoderma rufum)

4 snail species, one species of guppy, one species

of molly, one species of freshwater crab
3 shrimp species, Mountain Mullet, River Goby,
Sirajo, Guppy, American Eel, and at least one
snail
Dorothea Gut
Fish, shrimp, frogs, red-footed tortoise
Nadir Gut
Fish, wetland birds
Neltjeberg Gut
Fish, shrimp, frogs, crabs
Caret Bay/Sorgenfri ghut
Fish
Santa Maria Gut
Shrimp, tadpoles, Cuban Treefrog, crab
Magens Bay Gut
Shrimp
Caledonia Gut
Bridled Quail-Dove, Caribbean Elaenia, Blackwhiskered Vireo, American Redstart
Creque Gut
Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron,
Black Crowned Night Heron, Yellow Crowned
Night Heron, Common Moorhen, Black Necked
Stilt, Lesser Yellowlegs, Scaly Naped Pigeon,
White Crowned Pigeon, Bridled Quail Dove,
Mangrove Cuckoo, Belted Kingfisher, Caribbean
Elaenia, Northern Waterthrush, Red Tailed
Hawk, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
Butler Bay Gut
Bridled Quail Doves, Scaly-naped Pigeon,
American Redstart, Antillean Treefrog, St. Croix
Anole, Common Dwarf Gecko
Bethlehem Gut, Castle Burke Shrimp, Mountain Mullet, River Goby, Sirajo,
Gut, Concordia Gut
Guppy, American Eel

Sources:
1 Bacle, Jean-Pierre Island Resources Foundation
2 OReilly, Rudy U.S. Department of Agriculture
3 Platenberg, Renata Division of Fish and Wildlife
4 Valiulis, Jennifer Division of Fish and Wildlife
5 Olasee Davis Cooperative Extension Service, UVI

This information is taken in part from the database of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

30

Water Quality
As the main drainage channels connecting the various land areas to the sea, ghuts
collect and transport surface runoff from island ridge to the marine environment. As
such, ghuts naturally transport any and all contaminants contained in the surface
runoff. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the water quality of ghut pools is impacted to a
significant extent by human activities. An urban pollution survey of Charlotte
Amalie and Christiansted in 1986 found that low level, but chronic, pollution
sources exist in nearly all of the urban drainage basins (Wernicke, 1986). The
Unified Watershed Assessment Report (Department of Planning and Natural
Resources, 1998) also noted the impact of surface runoff on water quality.
Despite this acknowledged influence of surface runoff on water quality, the water
quality monitoring program of the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands focuses
only on coastal waters, primarily beaches. As a result, the information concerning the
quality of water in ghuts is sparse. Available data is provided by a small number of
reports detailing research on different ghut resources.
Loftus (2003), reported on water quality conditions in Living (Reef Bay) Gut and
Fish Bay Gut, measured during the period 2001-2003. During his visits over the
period, he found that Physical-chemical conditions in Living and Fish Bay guts were
less variable compared with the coastal ponds. Water temperatures were cooler, and
changed little by season, normally hovering around 25-260C. Dissolved oxygen
concentrations tended to be lower than in most coastal ponds, probably because of
shading and organic material in the pools. Levels were higher in December (62%supersaturation), and lower in the warm, low waters of March (10.5-58%). Values
for pH ranged from 7.2-8.5 in December but rose above 10 in March (page 10).
Kelsey (2006) reported on the quality of water samples collected from storm water
entering and leaving a pond within the Turpentine Run ghut (adjacent to the
Weymouth Rhymer Highway) over a two-week period in November 2003. The water
samples were tested for fecal coliform bacteria. The mean fecal coliform density for
all samples was 28 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water (28cfu/100ml) at
the pond inlet and 41cfu/100ml at the outlet. This is well within the USVI standards
for recreational waters, but does not represent water quality conditions during
significant rainfall events. On November 13, 2003, during a rainstorm, the coliform
bacteria loading at the inlet and outlet were recorded as 3,286cfu/sec. and
4,919cfu/sec. respectively.
Nemeth and Platenberg (2007) determined that there were clear differences in water
quality in the ghuts that drained developed watersheds versus those draining lesser
developed watersheds. Water samples collected in the Turpentine Run, Dorothea
(Bonne Resolution), and Neltjeberg Guts in October 2006 and February 2007 showed
total nitrogen ranging from a low of 0.8mg/L in Turpentine Run to a high of

31

2.44mg/L8 in the Dorothea (Bonne Resolution) Gut. Total phosphorus ranged from
0.02mg/L in Neltjeberg Gut to a high of 0.41mg/L in Dorothea (Bonne Resolution)
Gut. Other parameters measured included pH (7.19-7.85) and total dissolved solids
(232-389 ppm).
The above data are merely snapshots of water quality condition in ghut pools, and do
not present a clear enough picture of overall environmental quality. Coastal water
quality provides additional information regarding the state of water quality in ghuts,
in that:
(a)
The water quality of bays is used as the main criterion to categorize the
environmental quality of watersheds; and
(b)
Closure of recreational beaches is often linked to storm-water discharge
after rainfall events.
Unfortunately, using coastal water quality as a measure of environmental quality in
watersheds does not provide much information on the environmental quality of
permanent ghut pools or other ghut resources.

Riparian Forests
The report of the 2004 inventory of wetlands and riparian areas in the U.S. Virgin
Islands (USVI) provides some indication of the proportion of watersheds that are
classified as wetlands. The study focused on eighteen (18) of the fifty (50)
watersheds in the USVI, and within this selected group, the percentage of
wetland/riparian area to watershed area ranged from a low of 3.58% in the Madam
Carty Watershed to a high of 26.49% in the Reef Bay Watershed (Devine et al, 2004).
The report also made general comments regarding habitat types within the
wetland/riparian areas, stating that Four of the six highly disturbed watersheds, as a
result of size, contain significant habitat diversity, in many cases more than 10
habitat types. Reference watersheds are in most cases found to be on the low end of
habitat diversity, usually less than seven and in some cases as low as 3. This is
primarily due to size but also to geologic history (page 31). However, the report
does not distinguish between wetlands generally (which include ponds and marshes)
and riparian areas (which are only found along streams/in ghuts).
There are few detailed descriptions and inventories of ghut forests in the USVI. Thomas and
Devine (2005) provide descriptions of the various distinct types and structures of gallery
plant communities, which are based mainly on the different ghut locations, microclimates,
and moisture availability. The Gallery Moist Forest is said to occur in the moister northern
areas of the islands. This gallery forest type has been highly impacted by land clearing
associated with development. Ghuts containing good examples of this forest type are
Caledonia Gut, Solomon9 or Bonne Resolution Gut, and Reef Bay Gut (Thomas and Devine,
8

The high reading in the Bonne Resolution Gut is said to have been due to input of sewage effluent from a
residence.
Solomon Gut appears to be a third name for the Bonne Resolution Gut.

32

2005). Gallery Dry Forest, Woodland, and Shrubland types can be found in ghuts in drier
areas. The gallery vegetation that lines ghuts in drier areas may be larger and lusher than the
surrounding vegetation because of more available moisture. However, in very dry areas,
plants in ghuts may be undetectable from neighboring vegetation. In all areas, plant
community structure and composition are naturally affected by available moisture, slope
aspect, soil type/depth, and terrain.
While there is little information on the forest structure in the ghuts of interest (Section 5),
the diversity of forest structure is said to increase the habitat value, as roosting/nesting and
foraging opportunities increase with structural diversity.

4.2

Influence of Land-use Practices on Ghuts

The development activities of humans always produce impacts on the natural environment,
directly or indirectly. In the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), the impacts of development
activities on ghuts and associated resources include the following:
Cutting of vegetation adjacent to, and within, ghuts;
Increased volume and velocity of surface runoff;

Increased sediment in surface runoff;

Changing the alignment of natural drainage channels;
Filling drainage channels;
Impoundment of ghuts;
Dumping of solid waste (construction debris, garbage, household appliances and
furniture, used tyres);

33

 Disposal of liquid pollutants (primarily sewage effluent from residents and treatment
plants10); and
Channelization of ghuts for storm-water management purposes.

The above practices result by the following factors:

(a)

Ignorance/Indifference Land management practices that remove vegetation too

close to the edges of ghuts, clear-cut areas, disturb topsoil without adequate erosion
control measures, and other similar practices create a range of impacts. These include
loss of habitat, increased rates and volumes of surface run-off, and increased sediment
loading in surface runoff. Sometimes the person engaged in the practice is simply not
aware of the implications of the activities. All too often, the person or business entity
does not care, and attempts by neighbours, environmentalists, and even regulatory
agencies to effect an improvement in the practice may yield little positive response.
This latter attitude is independent of the size of the development, and is displayed by
individuals with small residential properties and corporations undertaking multimillion dollar developments on land parcels of hundreds of acres in size. The
disposal of waste into ghuts is another example where indifference contributes to a
significant degree to negative practices.

(b)

Impact of Scale The small size of the islands means that land is a limiting factor in
the development process. As such, the use of land is maximized, especially
development activities on small lots. Given the topography of the islands, ghuts
traverse most lots, and in an effort to fully utilize the land, ghuts are often re-aligned
or filled.

10

The deliberate disposal of sewage effluent to ghuts is not widespread. Disposal from municipal treatment
plants take place from the Bordeaux and Brassview treatments on St. Thomas. However, there are infrequent
inputs when there are breaks in the transmission lines.

34

(c)

Greed The desire to maximize profits sometimes lead to development practices that
result in significant damage to both the natural and built environments. This is
particularly associated with flood damage to private property and public
infrastructure. Anecdotal information received during this project indicates that there
have been cases where lawsuits resulted from such damage. There is no information
to determine the extent of the problem, or the cost to settle such legal battles.

(d)

Lack of Appropriate Options Public sector projects in housing and infrastructure

have resulted in past incidences of change in drainage patterns, creating damage to
infrastructure and private property. Cases such as the Mon Bijou housing project
show that inappropriate land use can have significant and costly impacts on ghuts,
and conversely on the development of communities.

(e)

Need for Storm-water Management The topography of the islands require that the
use and development of land take into consideration the management of surface
runoff. The channelization of ghuts to form storm drains (in both public and private
projects) reduces the ability of catadromous (freshwater faunal species) to return to
the ghut pools. This focus on storm-water management also results in the practice
where drainage channels are routinely realigned and ghuts are cleared of vegetation.
This matter of the impact of storm-water management on ghuts is an issue that
requires more attention.

35

A comparison of land uses in four watersheds on St. Thomas showed an increase in the
density of residential units from 1989 to 1999 (Gardner, 2008). Given the continued
construction of residential and commercial projects, it is assumed that not only has the
increase in residential density continued, but landuse changes have also taken place. Data
produced by the Virgin Islands Bureau of Economic Research show that the value of
construction permits issued during the period 2000-2007 totaled approximately $2.3 billion
(http://www.usviber.org/publications.html). Some of those projects are located in close
proximity to ghuts, and many involved re-zoning of land use classes.
Concern about the impact of development on drainage patterns led the project team to
commission a comparative analysis of drainage in a watershed for two different time periods.
The analysis was conducted by the Conservation Data Center (University of the Virgin
Islands), using the Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed as the test area (Appendix 4).
The researchers caution that the results of the analysis should not be extrapolated to other
watersheds, but concluded that The results of this limited study reveal that during the period
major development occurred in areas impacting the Turpentine Run Ghut there was an
increase in the average stream flow rate for that ghut.

4.3

Initiatives Relevant to Ghuts

Though there are only three Departments of the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands with
regulatory responsibility for ghut management, there are several public and civil society
institutions with current or planned initiatives of relevance to ghuts, including:
Department of Planning and Natural Resources;
Department of Agriculture;
Department of Public Works;
U.S. Department of Agriculture;
Economic Development Authority;
University of the Virgin Islands;
Virgin Islands Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc;
Environmental Association of St. Thomas;
Coral Bay Community Council, Inc.; and
Virgin Islands National Park.

(a)

Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR)

The Water Pollution Control Program managed by the Division of Environmental Protection
is the main program within DPNR that is of relevance to ghuts. The elements of the Water
Pollution Control Program are:
Ambient Monitoring Program;
Territorial Pollutant Discharge Elimination System;

36

Virgin Islands Beach Monitoring Program; and

Storm Water Discharge Pollution Prevention.

The four programs listed above focus on coastal water quality, and there is no monitoring
of freshwater systems. The 319 Grant Program (Section 319 of the Clean Water Act) funds
community projects dealing with non-point source pollution. Two (2) projects in 2003 and
2005 focused on ghuts. There were:
Bethlehem Old Works Emergency Spillway protection Project.
Estate Bethlehem Watershed Water Quality Demonstration Project The project
focused on a 19-acre farm that was flooded regularly by storm water runoff from
adjacent urban development. The project involved the construction of a storm water
retention pond on the main tributary to Adventure Gut, construction of stream-bed
crossing for livestock, and construction of fencing to prevent livestock from
entering the ghut.
A Wetlands Program was created by the Division of Environmental Protection in 2002, and
the first activity was an inventory of wetlands and riparian areas (2002-2004). A second
phase of the project is supposed to commence in 2008, and this second phase is supposed to
include the development of an assessment and monitoring program. The Conservation Data
Center (UVI) and the Island Resources Foundation implemented the first phase of the
project, and both institutions will collaborate with the Division in Phase 2.
The management of the Earth Change Permitting System by the Division of Environmental
Protection has increased the focus on storm-water management associated with
construction projects. The Division is currently in discussion with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency to undertake a project concerning the determination of the capacity of
ghuts to manage run-off during storm events11.
The Division of Archeology and Historic Preservation (within DPNR) has identified a
number of ghuts with historic resources, and plans to use these resources for educational
purposes. The main ghuts that have been identified for use in supporting walking tours are
Savan Gut (Linear Park Project) and the portion of Major Gut from Kongens Gade to Norre
Gade12 (both in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas). In addition to the intention to restore
historic sites located adjacent to ghuts, the Division has also supported researchers in
conducting an inventory of historic bridges in the USVI (Rosenkvist, 2007).

(b) Department of Agriculture

The Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VIDA) administers a Forest Stewardship
Program, through which land use plans are prepared for property owners with more than
three (3) acres. These plans focus on the protection or restoration of ghuts and riparian

11

This information was shared by the Division of Environmental Protection during the second public meeting
for the project, held on March 27, 2008.
12
Information received during interviews with staff members of the Division.

37

vegetation. The VIDA is in the process of determining the feasibility of rehabilitating the
impoundments constructed for watering livestock.

(c) Department of Public Works

The Department of Public Works (DPW) operates a ghut cleaning program. This focuses
mainly on removing vegetation and debris from ghuts prior to the start of the hurricane
season. Removal of solid waste from ghuts is restricted to the lower, paved portions of ghuts
in the urban areas.
The Department also implements flood mitigation works. The next major flood mitigation
project is to channel the runoff from the ghut draining into Bolongo Bay (Darryl Smalls,
personal communication). The intent is to change the ghut profile to channel the runoff into
the salt pond.

(d) U.S. Department of Agriculture

The programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that are relevant to ghuts are
operated through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The farm support program of
the Service includes the preparation of Conservation Plans for farms. A Farm Conservation
Plan would include a focus on ghuts if there is one present on the farm.
A more specific focus on ghuts is provided through the Resource Conservation &
Development Program. The program provides administrative and technical assistance to the
Virgin Islands Resource Conservation and Development Council. The Estate Adventure
Trail project is one ghut-related project supported by the Program. Other ghut projects
proposed under the program include:
Ghut restoration at Estate Southgate the drainage pattern changed, and the runoff is
undercutting the road.
Ghut restoration at Catherines Rest runoff from the ghut is eroding the driveway of
a neighbouring property.

(e) Economic Development Authority

The program of the Economic Development Authority (EDA) that is relevant to ghuts is the
Enterprise Zone Initiative. The EDA intends to work with the V.I. State Historic
Preservation Office to implement the Savan Gut Linear Park project.

38

(f) University of the Virgin Islands

The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) has three units that manage programs concerned
with ghuts; Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), Cooperative Extension Service
(CES), and Conservation Data Center (CDC).
WRRI supports research and training in water resources matters in the USVI and the rest of
the Caribbean. Funds provided to WRRI by the U.S. Geological Survey support research in
water-related matters, including ghuts. This project is an example of ghut-specific research
funded by the WRRI, and the results include reports produced by Nemeth and Platenberg
(2007) and Gardner (2008). The wider mission of WRRI, which can support a range of
activities relevant to ghuts, include:
To conduct research on water resources and related areas;
To assist in the training of students and water resources professionals;
To provide information exchange in the area of water resources, not only locally and
regionally, but also on a national and international level.
CES provides extension services in several areas of community development, primarily
family & consumer science, agriculture, and natural resources management. As part of its
natural resources and water quality programs, CES advocates for the management of ghuts.
CES has conducted training sessions, workshops, demonstration projects, field trips, and
produced supporting educational displays, posters, environmental protection handbooks,
factsheets and other promotional materials related to ghuts in the USVI. CES will also
participate in the second phase of the USVI Wetlands Inventory Project.
The CDC supports research in all areas of development in the USVI, including water
resources. The CDC participated in the first phase of the USVI Wetland Inventory Project,
and will take the lead role in the second phase. The CDC also supports the various research
projects undertaken as part of the WRRI grant program.
As partners, CDC and CES were awarded funding from the VI Department of Agriculture
Urban and Community Forestry program to produce a wetlands and watersheds handbook for
resource managers that will focus on the islands drainage systems (2008-9). CDC and CES
recently (2006-2008) collaborated on a research project funded by the Virgin Islands
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR). This pilot study
investigated the impacts of land-based activities on off-shore coastal resources. With
specific relevance to ghuts, the project formulated quantitative methods for evaluating the
integrity of ghuts through the use of GIS technology.

(g) Virgin Islands Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc

The Virgin Islands Resource Conservation and Development (VIRC&D) Council, Inc. is a
non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that was incorporated in June 1990. The VIRC&D
Council is a membership-based institution, with membership by public and civil society

39

institutions and individuals (http://usvircd.org/vircd.who.html). Administrative and technical

support to the Council is provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
The VIRC&D Council implements projects throughout the USVI, including projects dealing
with ghuts. An example is the Estate Adventure Nature Trail on St. Croix, a 3/4 mile hiking
trail located at Estate Adventure, opposite the main offices of the V.I. Department of
Agriculture. The trail runs along a portion of the ghut that runs from the Big Fountain and
River Watersheds to the sea.

(h) Environmental Association of St. Thomas

The Environmental Association of St. Thomas (EAST) is a non-profit, environmental,
membership-based organization that functions primarily as an advocacy institution. EAST
hikes in ghuts on St. John and St. Thomas, and in response to the interest generated during
this project, has expressed an interest in participating in a ghut management initiative in the
deJongh Gut.

(i)

Coral Bay Community Council, Inc.

The Coral Bay Community Council is a non-profit organization whose mission is to

provide an effective means for residents of Coral Bay to participate in planning the future of
Coral Bay development, by providing education and information on planning processes, and
a forum for government, citizens, and developers to discuss plans. The agenda focuses on:
land and water use planning, infrastructure, development and environmental issues
(www.coralbaycommunitycouncil.org). The Council recently received a $300,000.00 grant
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support implementation of the Coral Bay
Watershed Management Plan during Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010. The project will employ a
storm-water engineering expert to address issues such as pollution in ghuts, excess stormwater flows, filling and altering of ghuts, and similar issues (Sharon Coldren, personal
communication).

(j)

Virgin Islands National Park

The Virgin Islands National park (VINP) covers more than 7,000 acres of land and 5,600
acres of submerged lands. In addition to the tours conducted along ghuts, the resource
management program addresses issues of concern to ghut resources, such as pollution. The
VINP collaborates with local and national institutions on research projects within the park.

40

Inter-Agency Arrangements
Though there are several institutions with programs relevant to ghuts, and though some
collaborate on specific initiatives, there is no mechanism, formal or informal, for institutions
to cooperate on ghut initiatives. This is one of the issues that have to be addressed if ghuts
and associated resources are to be protected.

41

5.

MAJOR ISSUES RELEVANT TO GHUTS IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

The foregoing sections of this report have discussed the policy, legislative, and management
frameworks relevant to ghuts in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). The current status of ghuts
and associated resources, and the factors acting on them, have also been discussed. This
Section identifies the major issues relevant to ghuts, and recommends a number of actions to
address concerns or improve management options. The major issues include:
(a)

Inadequate Policy Framework

The current policy framework offers some level of protection to ghuts through its policy and
legislative provisions to prevent pollution and maintain the integrity of wildlife habitats.
However, that policy guidance has not been translated into a cohesive policy framework
specific to ghuts. The various agencies with regulatory responsibilities have developed more
detailed policy positions on issues of general relevance to ghuts, but have not developed any
intervention specific to ghuts. For example, the water pollution control program of the
Division of Environmental Protection focuses on coastal water quality. The watershed
program of the same Division is constructed within the context of non-point source pollution
reduction. Nowhere in the watershed program is there any emphasis on water resources
management, wildlife management, or forest resources management. Similarly, the wildlife
conservation strategy for the USVI, developed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, has no
focus on ghuts, neither as a type of wetland nor as a unique habitat containing rare wildlife
species.
This issue of the inadequacy of the policy framework also results in lack of clarity regarding
institutional jurisdiction, and thus responsibility for programming. The public becomes
aware of this problem when infractions occur but necessary enforcement actions are not
taken. Inadequate enforcement encourages wrongdoing, and allows small infractions to
escalate into major impacts when not corrected, which leads to further degradation of ghut
resources.
Participants in the second public meeting (March 27, 2008), in which the findings of this
report and the draft ghut management strategy were discussed, were asked to recommend an
appropriate policy framework for management of ghuts. The general agreement was that
ghut management should be placed within the general context of watershed management,
even though the current watershed management policy and programming was not broad
enough to encompass all the issues relevant to ghuts (e.g. research, resource harvesting,
recreation, wildlife management).
The ghut management strategy for the USVI must address the issue of the formulation of an
appropriate policy framework for ghut management.

42

(b)

Existence of Significant Threats

Ghuts and associated resources are subjected to a number of impacts from the various forms
of development, in both the construction and operational phases of these development
activities. The threats include:
(i)
Changed Drainage Patterns The construction of residences, commercial
buildings, and public buildings (e.g. churches) result in changes in the drainage
patterns, starting from high up in the watersheds.
Such constantly-changing drainage patterns
create problems for storm-water management by
public agencies, result in flooding of private
property and roadways, and damage to
infrastructure. At a more significant level, it puts
into question the validity of the drainage maps
currently
used
to
assess
storm-water
management designs in the development control
process.
(ii)
Sedimentation of Waterways The 1998
Unified
Watersheds
Assessment
Report
(Department of Planning and Natural Resources,
1998) states that sediment is the primary nonpoint source pollutant causing
impairment of the waters of the
USVI.
(iii) Disposal of Construction Waste
Debris and other wastes (e.g.
concrete) from construction sites
are occasionally dumped into
ghuts. In the case of soil, that
results in major sedimentation
problems in the ghuts and
nearshore marine environment.
(iv)
Solid Waste Disposal Solid
waste deposited into ghuts include household
garbage and furniture, tyres, and accidental
spillage from the solid waste collection skips.
This results in a reduction in amenity value of
areas, blocked drains, and health concerns.
(v)
Agricultural Waste Runoff from agricultural
lands include sediments and organic waste. The
pollutants not only pollute the ghuts, but are also
transported to the coastal areas.
(vi)
Sewage Disposal Sewage is deposited directly into ghuts from two municipal
sewage treatment plants on St. Thomas, from broken sewer lines, and from
commercial and residential properties.

43

(vii)

Bacterial and Nutrient Contamination In addition to the agricultural waste

and direct sewage inputs, bacterial and nutrient contamination of ghuts result from
the large number of septic systems used in residential sewage treatment. The
1998 Unified Watersheds Assessment Report (Department of Planning and
Natural Resources, 1998) identifies bacterial contamination as one of the two
primary non-point source pollutants causing impairment of the waters of the
USVI.
(viii) Removal of Ghut Vegetation Removal of vegetation from the banks and
within ghuts increases the threat of erosion, decreases stream slope stability, and
can result in collapse of roads. One of the results of threats to ghuts is the loss of
rare and endangered species. Rare plant species are often found in ghuts, and
some of those locations have been subjected to development pressures. Neither
the frequency of occurrence of such rare species nor the extent of damage from
development activities is known, so the significance of the problem has not been
determined. However, any loss of rare species is deemed a significant loss from a
biodiversity perspective.
In addition to the threats emanating from individual activities, the clustering of commercial
activities and the constant re-zoning of land use create development zones for which there is
no associated infrastructure to provide the required social services, especially those required
for waste management. For example, the clustering of two construction companies, a
laundromat, and other commercial operations in the area of Susannaberg and Adrian (St.
John) has created a defacto industrial zone at the top of the Fish Bay Watershed. In the
absence of adequate infrastructure and environmental management interventions to deal with
the associated landuse and waste, there is concern that the operations will result in significant
adverse impact on Battery Gut and Fish Bay Gut.
These threats are not new. Threats to water sources by development activity were identified
during the 1960s, and protection of groundwater recharge areas and ghuts were
recommended at that time (Office of the Lieutenant Governor, 1970).

(c)

Ghuts and Stormwater Management

The Project Plan for the 1973 Resource Conservation and Development Project (Virgin
Islands Department of Agriculture, 1973) noted that land development and construction were
creating significant changes in hydrology, manifesting in larger quantities and faster
discharge rates for storm water. In addition to the increased flood potential caused by these
changes, the filling in of ghuts and the encroachment on ghuts by buildings increases the
hazard from flooding. Ghuts with high levels of infringement from development activity
(identified by the report) included Bethlehem Gut, Salt River, and Water Gut (St. Croix) and
Lindberg Gut and Turpentine Run (St. Thomas). The report noted that more than 275
earthen dams had been constructed across ghuts in the USVI for the purpose of impounding
surface runoff from storms.

44

The problem has only gotten worse since 1973. A computer simulation carried out by the
Conservation Data Center during this project showed that several homes were well within the
30ft. buffer zone (set in law) along the Bonne Resolution Gut. It is common in the U.S.
Virgin Islands to observe well-defined ghuts running through small developments (such as
the Mongoose Junction shopping mall on St. John). In fact, some buildings are actually
paced within ghuts.
Major
drainage problems, such as
occurred at Mon Bijou (St.
Croix) and currently occurring
at Bolongo Bay (St. Thomas),
result in significant property
damage, law suits, and very
high costs of mitigation.
There are elements of the
drainage problem that are less
obvious,
but
no
less
problematic. As construction of
residential units (whether single
family or multi-family) increases, the practice is to change the drainage on both small and
large lots. In fact, storm-water permits are not required for residential developments under
one (1) acre (Consultations, January 15, 2008). This changing drainage pattern creates
problems for homes, commercial developments, and infrastructure lower in the watershed.
On a large enough scale, this practice (and resulting problems) brings into question the utility
of the Water Resources Map, which was prepared in 1978, and which is still used to evaluate
storm-water management plans included in applications for Earth Change Permits.
The Territorial Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Rules and Regulations (2007)
contain a sub-section (184-45) that deals specifically with storm water discharge from a
range of development activities. However, this does not adequately address the issue of large
discharge volumes and rates, impact on ghut resources, and impact on infrastructure and
developments lower in the watershed. It certainly does not address the issue of the
constantly-changing drainage patterns in the upper portions of the watersheds.

(d)

Gaps in Knowledge

There are significant information gaps concerning ghuts in the USVI, and such gaps
encompass ecological elements for which no data exist, the current status of all ghuts and
associated resources, and even what information is based on perception rather than facts.
Information gaps identified during this project include:
(i)

Ghuts and Associated Wildlife As shown by Section 4.1, there is very little
information on ghuts and associated wildlife species, particularly rare and
endangered floral and faunal species. This paucity of data has resulted in the
USVI Wildlife Conservation Strategy (Division of Fish and Wildlife, 2005)

45

not including ghuts as a specific habitat requiring management intervention.

It was suggested that this inadequate focus on ghuts as wildlife habitats is
influenced by a general lack of understanding of freshwater habitats (William
Coles, consultation, January 17, 2008). Platenberg (2006) proposed the
inclusion of ghuts as a specific wetland type requiring management
intervention, but that recommendation has not yet been translated into public
policy or institutional programs.
(ii)

Recreational Use Patterns It is known that recreational use of ghuts is

promoted by individuals, institutions, community groups, and tour groups.
However, there is very little information on seasonality, frequency, type of
activity, size of groups, age of users, and other such data needed to establish
patterns of use. Even groups that routinely use ghuts for recreational
purposes, such as the St. Croix Hiking Association and the Environmental
Association of St. Thomas, do not maintain records of use. The only data
available is provided by the Virgin Islands National Park, which maintains
records of the number of persons participating in trail hikes13. Data for Fiscal
Year 2006/2007 shows 3,573 persons participating in the Reef Bay Trail hike.

(iii)

Location and Status of Historical and Cultural Resources There are

records that state the location of some historical resources within ghuts
(Section 3.4). The current status of those resources is less clear. An
examination of the condition of historic structures at 43 national parks in the
U.S. system by the Center for State of the Parks found examples of
deteriorating historic structures (National Parks Conservation Association,
2008). One would expect that historical resources not under the active
management of any institution will suffer the same fate.

(iv)

Ghut Water Quality Current data on ghut water quality is sparse, and
cannot be used to support decision making for management interventions or
development of future uses. A ghut water quality monitoring program should
be established by the relevant agency, and programs dealing with watershed
management, pollution control, or recreation should be linked to the revised
water quality standards for Class A Waters (wildlife) and recreational waters.

(v)

Programs and Initiatives There is currently no mechanism for information

sharing on programs and initiatives relevant to ghuts. Even during the
consultation process for this project, persons would mention initiatives but not
share information on those initiatives. This includes projects of U.S.
Government agencies dealing with flood assessment and freshwater species
assessment.

13

The Virgin Islands National Park does not have access to data on hikes taken by private groups or
individuals.

46

(e)

Information Management

It is clear that ghuts played an important role in the development of the U.S. Virgin Islands,
and continue to provide a range of goods and services. It is equally clear that there are
threats to ghuts and associated resources. Reduction of threats and optimization of the
beneficial contributions from ghuts require that the institutions (public, private, and civil
society) that are responsible for the development processes are able to make informed
decisions concerning ghuts. Yet it obvious from the above discussion that there are gaps in
both the knowledge base and the development planning and environmental management
programs.
In order to improve protection of ghuts and associated resources, it is here recommended that
the regulatory agencies compile a list of the Ghuts of Interest. Ghuts so identified would
become priority areas for research, and more rigorous and focused management
interventions.
The following criteria are recommended as a starting point in the selection of ghuts to be
added to the list of Ghuts of Interest:
Ghuts with permanent pools;
Ghuts currently used for recreational purposes;
Ghuts supporting other community uses;
Ghuts containing critical habitats;
Ghuts supporting endangered species of plants or animals;
Ghuts containing significant historic, archeological, or cultural resources;
Ghuts that are the primary drainage channels for stormwater; and
Ghuts facing significant threats (e.g. waste disposal).
Using the above criteria and the information on ghuts reviewed during this project, a
potential list of Ghuts of Interest has been compiled. This includes 13 ghuts on St. Croix, 5
on St. John, and 10 on St. Thomas (Table 3 and Figures 4-6)14.

14

Figures 4-6, showing the Ghuts of Interest on the three islands, are very large digital files, and are therefore
not included in the digital version of this report. They can be viewed at http://cdc.uvi.edu/ghutsproject.htm.

47

Table 3: Ghuts of Interest

St. Croix

St. John

St. Thomas

Adventure Stream

Battery Gut

Bonne Resolution (Dorothea) Gut

Bethlehem Gut

Fish Bay Gut

Caret Bay/Sorgenfri ghut

Butler Bay ghut

Guinea Gut

Contant Gut

Caledonia Gut

Johnny Horn ghut

deJongh Gut

Canaan ghut

Living (Reef Bay) Gut

Magens bay Gut

Cane Bay ghut

Nadir Gut

Creque Gut

Neltjeberg Gut

Fountain ghut

Santa Maria Gut

Harden Gut

Savan Gut

Jolly Hill Gut

Turpentine Run

La Grange Gut
Mahogany Gut
River Gut
Sources: Table 1, Table 2, Appendix 3.

48

RUST UP TWIST

CLAIRMONT

LA VALLEE-CANE BAY

#
Y

St. Croix

CLAIRMONT

#
Y

Cane Bay
BONNE ESPERANCE

HAMS BLUFF STATION

Figure 4. Ghuts of Interest

Legend
Ghuts of Interest
Ghuts

NORTH STAR
MOUNT PLEASANT

Buffer (30 ft.)

BETSYS JEWEL

NICHOLAS

#
Y

Caledonia Gut

CANAAN

PROSPERITY 55

SPRING GARDEN

#
Y
MT EAGLE

CALEDONIA 2A,3 & 4

Fresh pond

Canaan Gut

Gallery moist forest

REM NORTHSIDE
WILLS BAY

LEBANON HILL

SOLITUDE

SWEET BOTTOM

Gallery semi-deciduous forest

PARASOL
LITTLE FOUNTAIN
MOUNT VICTORY AA
ANNALY

Fountain FOUNTAIN

GLYNN

#
Y

ROSE HILL

Butler Bay Ghut WASHINGTON HILL NORTH HALL 15BC

#
Y

Salt flat

MON BIJOU

MT STEWART

Creque Gut

1:32,161

Mixed swamp

COLQUOHOUN

BODKIN

ANNALY THRU

#
Y

Gallery semi-deciduous woodland

MON BIJOU

375 750

1,500 Meters

Salt pond

SPRATT HALL

River Gut

#
Y

COLQUOHOUN
HARD LABOR PORTION

BODY SLOB

OXFORD 6

Pools

TWO FRIENDS
PUNCH

VICORP LAND

Adventure Stream

VICORP LAND

ORANGE GROVE

WILLIAMS

LA REINE

JOLLY HILL

#
Y

UPPER LOVE

#
Y

ALLEN DALE

Adventure Stream

Caledonia Gut
CLIFTON HILL

BROOKS HILL
LOWER LOVE PAR

HOPE SUBD INC 8-50

WALBEGAARD

VICORP LAND

#
Y

ST GEORGE

Bethlehem Gut

PLESSEN
PROFIT

ST GEORGES HILL
FREDERIKSHAAB

GOLDEN GROVE
MOUNT PLEASANT

VICORP LAND ADVENTUR

VICORP LAND ADVENTUR

CARLTON OF #2
WHIM &

Creque Gut

BLESSING

Cultural
Resources

DIAMOND (MATR)

Harden Gut

Threats

Jolly Hill Gut

MOUNTAIN

CARLTON (OF 2)

Harden Gut

Cane Bay

Fount ain

CANE VALLEY

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Canaan Ghut
CLIFTON HILL

KINGSHILL

LITTLE LA GRANGE &

La Grange Gut

Significant
flora/
fauna

VICORP LAND
GROVE PLACE

Mahogany Gut

Bethlehem Gut
Butler Bay Ghut

Jolly Hill Gut

BECKS GROVE

#
Y

Critical
habitats

BODY SLOB

SPRINGFIELD

PROSPERITY

#
Y

Community
Uses

PLESSEN
MONTPELLIER

#
Y

Recreational
Purpose

La Grange Gut

Mahogany Gut

River Gut

BETHLEHEM
PARADISE

DIAMOND

CONCORDIA THRU
CANE ESTATE

Source:
University of the Virgin Islands. Rapid Ecological Assessment, 2000.
U.S. Army Corp. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands
DIGITAL ORTHOPHOTO PROJECT, 2007.

49

MAHO BAY

GREAT CINNAMON BAY

EMMAUS
PETER FARM

#
Y

NO. 1 OF TRUNK BAY

Figure 5. Ghuts of Interest

Legend
#
Y

Cinnamon Bay Spring

#
Y

DENNIS BAY

St. John

Ghuts of Interest
Ghuts

Johnny Horn Gut

Buffer (30 ft.)

HAWKSNEST

Fresh pond

CAROLINA

Gallery moist forest

HAMMER FARM

Gallery semi-deciduous forest

NO.1 OF SAUANNA BERG

RUSTENBERG & ADVENTURE

Gallery semi-deciduous woodland

ADRIAN

Mixed swamp
SUSANNA BERG

HOPE

Salt flat

1:18,475

Salt pond

220

440

880 Meters

MAHO BAY
BEVERHOUDTSBERG & ESPERANCE
BORDEAUX

Pools
#
Y
PASTORY

Battery Gut

GLUCKSBERG & GRUNWALD

CALABASHBOOM

SIEBEN
BETHANY

Battery Gut

Fish Bay Gut

Guinea Gut

BELLEVUE

#
Y

Living (Reef Bay) Gut

Recreational
Purpose

Community
Uses

Critical
habitats

Significant
flora/
fauna

Cultural
Resources

Threats

SANS SOUSI

Guinea Ghut

#
Y

Johnny Horn
ghut

MOLLEDAHL & LITTLE REEF BAY

PARCEL OF GIFT & REGENBACK

Living Reef Bay

Gut

REEF BAY

#
Y

Fish Bay Gut

FISH BAY

LAMESHUR COMPLEX
CONCORDIA B

CHOCOLATE HOLE & GREAT CRUZ BAY

RENDEZVOUS & DITLIFF

Source:
University of the Virgin Islands. Rapid Ecological Assessment, 2000.
U.S. Army Corp. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands
DIGITAL ORTHOPHOTO PROJECT, 2007.

50

Figure 6. Ghuts of Interest

Legend
#
Y

Ghuts of Interest
Ghuts

PETERBORG

Buffer (30 ft.)

NELTJEBERG

SORGENFRI

#
Y
Caret Bay/Sorgenfri

CARET BAY

Fresh pond

HULL
Dorothea Gut

#
Y

Gallery moist forest

ST. PETER

DOROTHEA

Lovenlund Gut

LERKENLUND

BONNIE ESOLUTION

# BAY
Y
MAGENS

SANTA MARIA

#
Y

LOVENLUND

Gallery semi-deciduous woodland

CANNAAN & SCHERREN JEWEL

SOLBERG STABI

ADELPHI

Salt pond

ST JOSEPH & ROSENDAHL

ELIZABETH
MAFOU

deJongh Gut AGNES FANCY

TABOR & HARMONY

WINTBERG

HOSPITAL GROUND

#
Y

FRYDENDAL

CONTANT
JOHN BREWER
LINDBERGH BAY

#
Contant Gut Y

575 Meters

Salt flat

MANDAL

ZURFRIEDENAR
LILLIENOAL MARIENHOJ
CROWN & HAWK

575287.5 0

Mixed swamp

MISGUNST

BONNIE ESPERANCE

1:34,000

Gallery semi-deciduous forest

HERLEINS KOB

PEARL
# Santa Maria Gut
Y

St. Thomas

#
Y
LOWER JOHN DUNNO DEMARAPA
ANNA"S FANCY

QUEENS QUARTER

Pools

ROSS

Community
Uses

Critical
habitats

ANNAS RETREAT

KINGS QUARTER
THOMAS

HONDURAS

Recreational
Purpose

RAPHUNE

DONOE

#
Y

NISKY

Neltjeberg Gut

NEW HERNUT
HOFFMAN

CHARLOTTE AMALIE

Turpentine Run

#
Y

LANGMATH MARIENDAL

BAKKERO

#
Y

Nadir Gut

Cont ant Gut

deJongh Gut

Magens Bay Gut

Nadir Gut

Neltjeberg Gut

Santa Maria Gut

NADIR

FRENCHMAN BAY

Bonne Resolution
Gut
Caret Bay/
Sorgenfri

Savan Gut

Turpentine Run

Significant
flora/
fauna

Cultural
Resources

Threats

BOLONGO
BOVONI

Source:
University of the Virgin Islands. Rapid Ecological Assessment, 2000.
U.S. Army Corp. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands
DIGITAL ORTHOPHOTO PROJECT, 2007.

51

6.

FUTURE DEMAND FOR GHUT SERVICES

The discussion below on future demand for goods and services provided by ghuts in the U.S.
Virgin Islands is based primarily on the inputs from the participants in the two public
meetings, and as such, it is not a definitive statement of future demand. Goods and services
provided by ghuts for which there is future demand include the following:
(a)

Water

Water in ghuts will be required by wildlife to support both life-cycle requirements and
general habitat requirements.
Ghuts are also tapped by farmers for water for irrigation of crops and for watering livestock.
The projects by the University of the Virgin Islands to support farmers in St. Thomas, and the
recent initiative by the Department of Agriculture concerning impoundments, suggest
renewed focus on the potential of ghuts to provide water for agricultural purposes.
The rapid movement of surface runoff from the hills to the coastal areas has been noted
elsewhere in this report. This decreases the recharge of the aquifers. The 2004 State of the
Environment Report for the USVI (Division of Environmental Protection, 2004) states that
groundwater accounts for 30% of the public/private water supply and has provided up to
100% of the publics potable water supply after major disasters such as Hurricane Hugo
(page 38). However, the 1998 Unified Watershed Assessment Report (Department of
Planning and Natural Resources, 1998) noted the continued depletion of the groundwater
sources, citing the Smith Bay area as an area that had showed a significant drop in
groundwater level since 1990. Given the fact that a number of large development projects
have been approved across the USVI (notably in Smith Bay), continued depletion of
groundwater sources can be anticipated.
Recharge of groundwater is one potential benefit of ghuts. As mentioned in Section 5, the
Project Plan for the 1973 Resource Conservation and Development Project (Virgin Islands
Department of Agriculture, 1973) noted that more than 275 earthen dams had been
constructed across ghuts in the USVI for the purpose of impounding surface runoff from
storms. Smith (1989) noted that, in addition to control of runoff during heavy rainfall, the
earthen dams constructed by the Federal Government also formed a source of water for
livestock and wildlife, and allowed for recharge of groundwater. Smith proposed the
construction of impoundments specifically for groundwater recharge. However, care has to
be exercised in the construction of impoundments in ghuts, as such impoundments can have
deleterious effects on migrating aquatic fauna.

(b)

Recreational Opportunities

Though the data on recreational use of ghuts is very sparse, it is clear that there is a
significant level of use by individuals and groups. The establishment of new trails, such as
the Estate Adventure Trail, may increase community recreational use of trails and ghuts. The

52

initiative to have St. Croix designated as a heritage district may also increase the use of ghuts
for recreational activities.

(c)

Educational Opportunities

The use of ghuts to support formal and non-formal education offerings appears to have
increased in the past five years (Section 3.3). This demand could increase in the future due
to (i) increased activities in environmental clubs in high schools on St. Thomas15, (ii)
increased linkages between UVI and external universities to support research activities in the
USVI, and (iii) the establishment by UVI of a Master of Science Degree in Environmental
Sciences.

(d)

Biodiversity Protection

The continued degradation of watersheds from human activities is expected to be exacerbated

by the impacts of climate change resulting from global warming. Ghuts and associated
forests will take on increased importance as wildlife habitats. There is growing concern
about the vulnerability of species on small islands, and thus protection of ghuts and
associated resources becomes more important from the wider perspective of biodiversity
protection.

(e)

Disaster Mitigation

It is generally accepted that the characteristics of some ecosystems mitigate natural hazards,
such as flooding. Storm water management in the USVI has particular implications for
ghuts, hence the initiative by the Division of Environmental Protection and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency to assess the capacity of ghuts to manage run-off during
storm events. This takes on increased importance when viewed within the context of
increased development density in the watersheds and projected changes in the weather
pattern as a result of global warming.

The value of ghuts to the USVI community is one topic discussed with residents and resource
management staff during this project. There seems to be general agreement that, in addition
to the current benefits, the contribution of ghuts to the development of the USVI can be
increased, primarily in the areas of tourism (eco-tourism and heritage tourism), groundwater
recharge, water for agriculture, and community gardens (agriculture and greening of the main
towns).

15

Charlotte Amalie High School has a very active environmental club, and the environmental club at the
Adelita Cancryn High School has developed an Environmental Ranger program.

53

7.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DESIGN OF A GHUT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The preceding sections of this report clearly demonstrate that ghuts are valuable resources,
providing a range of goods and services that support the development processes in the U.S.
Virgin Islands (USVI), both historically and at the present time. It appears that there is
general interest in, and future demand for, ghuts and associated resources. It is also clear that
though there are laws and programs that are of relevance to the protection of ghuts, there is
no policy or program that specifically targets ghuts and associated resources.
It is suggested that this deficiency can only be corrected through the development of a ghut
management program.

7.1

Scope of the Proposed Management Program

Several factors determine the scope of the proposed ghut management program, including; (i)
the existence of laws and programs of relevance to ghuts; (ii) the absence of any specific
focus on ghuts; (iii) and the low probability of obtaining new resources for a completely new
program.
Based on the above-stated factors, no new/separate program is proposed. Instead, ghut
management initiatives should be integrated into existing programs. The ghut management
program would set the overall policy and management framework for the specific initiatives
to be designed and undertaken by the agencies with the relevant legal mandates and/or
relevant regulatory responsibilities.
Though there are several agencies with programs relevant to ghuts, there is no established
mechanism for information sharing and program linkages. As such, a ghut management
program would require the development of new institutional arrangements. This would
necessarily include civil society institutions, with potential roles ranging from program
design to project management.

7.2

Areas of Focus for the Proposed Management Program

The ghut management program must focus on the conservation of ghuts and associated
resources, facilitating sustainable use of those resources where appropriate. In pursuing this
overall goal, the program should:
(a)

Address the Priority Issues especially the development of an appropriate policy

framework and the reduction of threats (Section 5).

(b)

Establish an appropriate institutional framework.

(c)

Identify and estimate the future demand for ghut resources, and develop a program
for supporting community use while protecting the ecological integrity of those
resources.
54

(d)

Increase public awareness of the benefits of ghuts and associated resources, as well as
improve public support for ghut management.

(e)

Establish appropriate mechanisms to support information sharing and reporting to the

various partners, stakeholders, and the USVI community.

The ghut management program proposed above is elaborated in the second output (report)
from this project, and is titled: A Strategy for Management of Ghuts in the U.S. Virgin
Islands.

55

Epilogue
Today I nostalgically wonder how so much change could have taken place in so short a
time; how the norms of a people and the soul of an island could have vanished so tracelessly
and completely within the memory of one man. I also wonder about the great wheeling and
fluting hordes of golden and black-bellied plover, for they too have vanished. (Seaman,
1980, Ay-Ay, P. 113).
Will the current generation have similar thoughts tomorrow?

56

References
Department of Planning and Natural Resources and United States Department of Agriculture.
1998. Unified Watershed Assessment Report: United States Virgin Islands.
Devine, Barry, Stevie Henry, Dayle Barry, Pedro Nieves, and Christy Loomis. 2004. The
Virgin Islands Wetlands and Riparian Areas Inventory: A Pilot Study to Characterize
Watersheds and Wetland Ecosystems - Phase I Final Report. Conservation Data Center,
University of the Virgin Islands. August 2004.
Division of Environmental Protection. 2004. State of the Environment: United States Virgin
Islands. Department of Planning and Natural Resources.
Division of Fish and Wildlife. 2005. A Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy for the
U.S. Virgin Islands. Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Government of the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
Forman, Richard T. 1974. An Introduction to the Ecosystems and Plants on St. Croix, U.S.
Virgin Islands. West Indies Laboratory, Fairleigh Dickenson University.
Gardner, Lloyd. 2008. Changes in Riverine Hydrology on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands: A
Pilot Study. Water Resources Research Institute, University of the Virgin Islands.
Graham, Roy Eugene. 1994. HABS/HAER Documentation: Historic Features, Savan Gut, St.
Thomas, USVI. AIA Associates and US Army Corps of Engineers.
Jordan, Donald G. 1975. A Survey of the Water Resources of St. Croix, Virgin Islands. United
States Department of the Interior (Geological Survey).
Kelsey, Rense Heath. 2006. Fecal Pollution Modeling, Source Identification, and
Management in the Southeastern Coastal Zone. University of South Carolina.
Kesler, Ben R. 1980. Priceless Heritage: History and Lore of Estate St. George, Home of
the St. George Village Botanical Garden of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Benjamin R.
Kesler. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lawaetz, Erik J. 1991. St. Croix 500 Years: Pre-Columbus to 1990. Paul Kristensen.
Lindsay, Kevel and Jean-Pierre Bacle. 2004. Confirming the Presence of Rare and
Endangered Plant Species: Fish Bay Battery Gut Watershed, St. John, US Virgin Islands.
June 2004. Internal Trip Report, Island Resources Foundation.
Lindsay, Kevel, Jean-Pierre Bacle, and Gary G. Kwiecinski. 2008. A Survey of Bats of St.
John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Final Report, April 2008. Island Resources Foundation.

57

Loftus, William F. 2003. Inventory of Fishes in Inland Fresh and Brackish-water Habitats of
Virgin Islands National Park. Final Project Report. USGS-Florida Integrated Science
Center-Center for Water and Restoration Studies.
Moolenaar, Ruth M. 2005. Legacies of Upstreet: The Transformation of a Virgin Islands
Neighborhood. We From Upstreet, Inc. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Moolenaar, Ruth M. 1994.'Savanne', in Savaneros. Chaneel Callwoods-Daniels (Ed.).
Division of Archeology and Historic Preservation. January 1994.
National Parks Conservation Association. 2008. The State of Our National Parks: A
Resource Index.
Nemeth, Donna and Renata Platenberg. 2007. Diversity of Freshwater Fish and Crustaceans
of St. Thomas Watersheds and its Relationship to Water Quality as Affected by Residential
and Commercial Development. Water Resources Research Institute, University of the Virgin
Islands.
Oldendorp, C.G.A. 1987. A Caribbean Mission. Edited by Johann Jakob Bossard. English
Edition and Translation by Arnold R. Highfield and Vladimar Barca. Karoma Publishers, Inc.
Office of the Lieutenant Governor. 1970. The U.S. Virgin Islands and the Sea. Government
of the Virgin Islands of the United States.
Paiewonsky, Michael. 2005. At the Head of Pave Street: Historical Notes on Kongens
Quarter and the Early History of St. Thomas, in Moolenaar, Ruth M. 2005. Legacies of
Upstreet: The Transformation of a Virgin Islands Neighborhood. We From Upstreet, Inc. St.
Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Platenberg, Renata. 2006. Wetland Conservation Plan for St. Thomas and St. John, U.S.
Virgin Islands. Draft, July 2006. Division of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Planning and
Natural Resources.
Righter, Elizabeth (Ed.) 2002. The Tutu Archeological Village Site: A Multidisciplinary Case
Study in Human Adaptation. Routledge.
Robinson, M. Tully et al. 1973. Water Records of the U.S. Virgin Islands, 1962-69. U.S.
Geological Survey.
Rosenkvist, Arne. 2007. Registration of Bridges on the Former Danish West Indian Islands:
A Report on Old Roads and Bridges of the Virgin Islands. Denmark.
Seaman, George A.: 1980. Ay-Ay: An Island Almanac. George A. Seaman. Saba, Netherlands
Antilles.

58

Seaman, George A.: 1993. Every Shadow is a Man: A Journey Back into Birds and Time.
George A. Seaman. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Smith, Alan D. 1989. 'Surface Water Resources in the Virgin Islands', in Proceedings of the
Virgin Islands Water Resources Conference. Hari J. Krishna (Ed.). July 24-26, 1989. Water
Resources Research Center, Caribbean Research Institute, University of the Virgin Islands.
Thomas, Toni and Barry Devine. 2005. Island Peak to Coral Reef: A Field Guide to the
Plant and Marine Communities of the Virgin Islands. University of the Virgin Islands.
U.S. Geological Survey. 1950. Geology and Ground-Water Resources of St. Croix, Virgin
Islands. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 106. U.S. Government Printing office.
Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture. 1973. U.S. Virgin Islands Resource Conservation
and Development Project: Project Plan. Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands and U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
Wernicke, Werner. 1986. Urban Pollution Survey: Christiansted and Charlotte Amalie, U.S.
Virgin Islands. Donald L. Hamlin Consulting Engineers, Inc., Government of the Virgin
Islands.
Woods, Edith deJongh. 1994. 'Historic Savan', in Savaneros. Chaneel Callwoods-Daniels
(Ed.). Division of Archeology and Historic Preservation. January 1994.
U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife photographs of field trips to ghuts:
http://www.vifishandwildlife.com/Education/Images/FieldTripPhotos.htm

59

Glossary of Terms

Bush

A common term used in the USVI (and the Caribbean)

to mean (a) shrub or clump of shrubs, (b) mixture of tall
grass and saplings, or (c) any combination of grasses,
shrubs, and young trees that is not maintained in a
manicured fashion.

Catadromous

Adjective used to describe fish that swim down rivers to

the sea to spawn. The juveniles then return to
freshwater to complete the life cycle.

Ghut

Common term for watercourse. The USVI variation of

the word ghut is usually gut.

Riparian

Adjective used in reference to rivers and streams.

Example, riparian rights (right of owner of property that
is adjacent to a stream to use water from that stream).

Watercourse

, a natural watercourse means any stream with a

reasonable well-defined channel, and includes streams
which have a permanent flow, as well as those which
result from the accumulation of water after rainfall and
which regularly flow through channels formed by the
force of the waters.
Source: Title 12, Chapter 3, Section 123(b) of the Virgin
Islands Code (Annotated, 2006 Edition).

60

Appendix 1: Biographical Sketch of Project Team

Lloyd Gardner (M.Sc.) is an environmental planner who has been involved in
environmental management in Jamaica and the Caribbean for more than 26 years. Mr.
Gardners experience spans both the public and private sectors, starting with the Government
of Jamaica in 1982. As a Director in the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (19881991), he was responsible for policy development and program planning in coastal zone
management, national parks, and development control. Additionally, Mr. Gardner served on
the Board of Directors and Advisory Committees of several planning agencies. Since joining
the private sector as an environmental planning consultant in 1992, Mr. Gardner has provided
consulting services to a wide range of regional and international private, intergovernmental,
civil society, bilateral, and multilateral organizations. Mr. Gardner maintains active
involvement in Jamaican, Caribbean, and international non-governmental organizations.
In addition to his career as a consultant with Environmental Support Services, LLC
(http://www.ess-caribbean.com), Mr. Gardner collaborates on research projects with public
institutions such as the University of the Virgin Islands.

Toni Thomas (B.A.) has been a Natural Resources Agent in the University of the Virgin
Islands Cooperative Extension Service (UVI-CES) for 20 years. Through UVI-CES, Ms.
Thomas serves as an environmental consultant to the general public, government personnel,
teachers, students, construction-site managers, and resource managers such as the Magens
Bay Authority, (which manages Magens Bay and Linquist Beaches). In 1983, she helped
establish and maintain the diagnostic herbaria of Virgin Islands vegetation at UVI-CES based
on the New York Botanical Garden and Smithsonian Institute collections. Ms. Thomas has
written and illustrated several articles, posters and publications featuring Virgin Islands
plants and natural habitats including Guts, Virgin Islands Natural Treasures and Building
Eco-Friendly Walkways and Trails in the Virgin Islands (posters). She co-authored the
book Island Peak to Coral Reef: A Field Guide to the Plant and Marine Communities of the
Virgin Islands (2006) with Dr. Barry Devine, and co-researched the book Remarkable Big
Trees in the U.S. Virgin Islands (2007) with Dr. Robert Nicholls. Ms. Thomas has conducted
several vegetation surveys and environmental assessments on St Thomas, St. John, off-shore
cays and the British Virgin Islands. She is currently part of a scientific team conducting a
rapid ecological assessment and watershed and wetland studies of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Stevie Henry (MCRP) has been the Data Manager of UVIs Eastern Caribbean
Center/Conservation Data Center since 1997. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social
Science from UVI (1989) and a Masters Degree in Community and Regional Planning from
the University of New Mexico (1992).
Mr. Henry has focused on the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) for
the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has been the project coordinator for several significant territorial
mapping projects, including the 2000 mapping of the U.S. Virgin Islands Vegetation and

61

Marine Communities, the Virgin Islands 1989 and 1999 Land Use Inventory, and the 2002
Virgin Islands Zoning and Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan.
He has been an authorized Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) ArcView
instructor since 1999.
In 2006, Mr. Henry was a charter member of the Virgin Islands Geospatial Information
Council. The goal of this council is to coordinate all geospatial information in the Territory
for the efficient and effective delivery of services to the residents and visitors of the Virgin
Islands. Mr. Henry currently serves as the Councils chair-elect.

62

Appendix 2: Contributors of Information and Materials

Institution
University of the Virgin
Islands
DPNR-Division of Coastal
Zone Management
DPNR-Division of
Environmental Protection
V.I. Energy Office
NPS-Virgin Islands National
Park
V.I. Water and Power
Authority
Coral Bay Community
Council
U.S. Department of
Agriculture
Central High School - St.
Croix
VI Waste Management
Authority
DPNR-Division of Fish &
Wildlife
Department of Public Works
DPNR-VI State Historic
Preservation Office

Person

Contact Information

Donna Nemeth
Roy Watlington
Olasee Davis
Janice Hodge
Carl Howard
Diane Capehart
Anita Nibbs
Syed Syedali
Bevan Smith
Rafe Boulon
Paul Thomas
Werner Wernicke

dnemeth@uvi.edu
rwatlin@uvi.edu
odavis@uvi.edu
janice.hodge@dpnr.gov.vi
carl.howard@dpnr.gov.vi
capehart.diane@vidpnr-dep.org
nibbs.anita@vidpnr-dep.org
syedali.syed@vidpnr-dep.org
bsmith@vienergy.org
rafe_boulon@nps.gov
paul_thomas@nps.gov

Sharon Coldren

coralbaycommunitycouncil@hot
mail.com
rudy.o_reilly@pr.usda.gov
julie_wright@pr.usda.gov
jssspns@yahoo.com

Rudy OReilly
Julie Wright
Jesus Espinosa
May Adams Cornwall
Mirko Restovic
William Coles
Jennifer Valiulis
Renata Platenberg
Darryl Smalls
Lorna Thomas
Sean Krigger
David Brewer
Jean-Pierre Bacle
Nadine Marchena-Kean

mrestovic@viwma.org
wcoles@vitelcom.net
jennifer.valiulis@gmail.com
vi.wildlife@gmail.com
lorna_thomas@vishpo.com
sean_krigger@vishpo.com
david_brewer@vishpo.com
DCBacle@aol.com
nmarchena@usvieda.org

Island Resources Foundation

Economic Development
Authority
Virgin Islands Cultural
Myron Jackson
myron.jackson@dpnr.gov.vi
Heritage Institute
DPNR = Department of Planning and Natural Resources
NPS = National Parks Service
VI = (U.S.) Virgin Islands
Special thanks to Julie Wright, Dale Morton, William Coles, and Jesus Espinosa for the
photographs.

63

Appendix 3: Community Uses of Ghuts in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Ghut

Past Uses

Current Uses

St. Croix
Bethlehem Gut

Harden Gut
Jolly Hill Gut

Little La Grange

Lower Love Gut

Upper Love Gut

Castle Burke

Gut
Concordia

Caledonia Gut

Fair Plane Gut

(Lower portion
of Bethlehem
Gut, where it
enters the
estuary.)
Salt River
River Gut
(Other name for
Upper Love
Gut?)

The Estate Bethlehem plantation

(1736) developed around the water
supply provided by the ghut.
Supported USGS gauging stations (at
Colquhoun and Upper Bethlehem) for
stream-flow measurements, 19621969.
Provided water for laundering clothes.
Recreation (swimming, bird watching)
Supplied water (via aqueduct) to
operate the water wheel used in the
sugar mill in Little LaGrange and to
supply water to the cane fields.
Supported USGS gauging station (at
Jolly Hill) for stream-flow
measurements, 1962-1969.
Water for irrigating cane fields.

Hiking by St. Croix

Hiking Association.

N/D

USGS gauging station for

stream-flow
measurements.

Fish for food (mudfish/goby)

Fish for food (eels)
Recreation (bird shooting)
Fish for food (mullets, gut lobsters)

N/D
Still supports fish species
(Fat Sleeper and 2 species
of guppies).
N/D
N/D

N/D

Fish for food (mudfish/goby)

Recreation
Recreation. Seaman found the goby
Sicydium plumieri in this ghut.
Recreation (fishing, bird shooting,
swimming)

N/D

Hiking by St. Croix

Hiking Association.
N/D

Water for drinking and agriculture

Dammed at Estate Upper Love for
provision of fresh water.
Supported USGS gauging stations (at
River, Holy Cross Church, Golden

Recreation and education

N/D

64

Ghut

Past Uses

St. Georges
Gut
La Grande
Mint Gut (also
known as
Diamond Gut)

Creque Gut

Mahogany Gut

Grove, & Alexander Hamilton

Airport) for stream-flow
measurements, 1962-1969.
Recreation (bird watching/bird
shooting)
N/D
Used by Arawaks to travel to St.
George.
Used by English farmers to move
sugar and tobacco from St. George to
coast, for shipment off-island
Water for domestic and agricultural
uses
Supported USGS gauging station
(above Mount Washington Reservoir)
for stream-flow measurements, 19621969.
N/D

Current Uses

N/D

N/D
N/D

2 species of shrimp
(Macrobrachium sp. and
Fairy Shrimp) found in
dam.
Recreation (photographs)

Butler Bay

N/D

Fountain

N/D

Canaan

N/D

Adventure
Stream

N/D

Cane Bay

N/D

Envy Spring

Supported USGS gauging station (at

Alexander Hamilton Airport) for
stream-flow measurements, 19621969.

Used by Good Hope

School for environmental
education
Currently supports fish
species (Mountain
Mullet, American Eel,
Macrobrachium sp.)
Hiking by St. Croix
Hiking Association
Hiking by St. Croix
Hiking Association
Hiking by St. Croix
Hiking Association
Hiking by St. Croix
Hiking Association
Environmental Education
by VI Resource
Conservation and
Development Council
Supports fish species
(Mountain Mullet and 3
species of shrimp)
N/D

65

Ghut

Past Uses

Current Uses

St. John
Battery Gut
Fish Bay Gut

Hiking
Hiking

Johnny Horn
Trail ghut
Living Gut

Recreation

Recreation

Guinea Gut

Cinnamon Bay
Spring

Supported USGS gauging station (at

Bethany) for stream-flow
measurements, 1962-1969.
Supported USGS gauging station for
stream-flow measurements, 19621969.

Research
Hiking
Research
Supports aquatic faunal
species
Recreation
Recreation (VINP
conducts tours of trail and
ghut)
Current location for
USGS gauging station.

N/D

Thoroughfare
Farming by community
youths

Recreation (hiking)

USGS gauging station

Recreation (hiking and
catching shrimp and fish)

USGS gauging station

Recreation
Research

N/D

St. Thomas
Savan Gut

(Also known
historically as
Browers Gut
and Jigget Gut.
Savan Gut is the
lower portion of
the deJongh

Gut.)
deJongh Gut

Bonne
Resolution Gut

Turpentine Run

Lovenlund Gut

Saturday and Sunday mornings, the

Savanneroes would catch and roast
jumbo shrimps from the upper
reaches of the ghut.
The female Savenneroes laundered
clothes for marines/sailors in the ghut,
especially after heavy showers of rain.
The laundry scenes were captured on
film and canvas by local and visiting
artists.
Water for community uses
Food (see also above)
Recreation (bathing in pools and
hiking)
USGS gauging station located at
Bonne Resolution
Water for agriculture
Recreation
USGS gauging stations located at Mt.
Zion and Mariendal
Recreation
Historical route for Tianos to move
from the coast to the village in Tutu
Supported USGS gauging station (at

66

Ghut

Past Uses
Lovenlund), 1962-1969.
Water for domestic use
N/D
N/D

Contant Gut
Neltjeberg Gut
Magens Bay
Gut

Sources:

Lawaetz (1991), Seaman (1980), Seaman

(1993), Kesler (1980), Robinson et al
(1973), Jordan (1975)

Current Uses

N/D
Recreation (hiking)
Recreation (hiking)

Olasee Davis, Rudy OReilly,

William Coles.

USGS = U.S. Geological Survey

N/D = no data available
VINP = Virgin Islands National Park

67

Appendix 4:
1994-2007 Comparative Analysis for
Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

68

1994-2007 Comparative Analysis for Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
Stevie Henry and Pedro Nieves, UVI-ECC/Conservation Data Center

INTRODUCTION
The tracking of activities within a watershed is required for effective management of this area.
This tracking includes a quantitative assessment of development changes and its impact on the
drainage network for that watershed. The Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed was chosen as the target
area for this analysis because of the number of large developments occurring after 1994 with
impact on the Turpentine Run Ghut.
The Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed has a drainage area of approximately 3,578.362 acres. It is
the largest subwatershed on the island of St. Thomas. The Turpentine Run Ghut is located in the
Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed and is approximately 2.13 miles.
Figure 1: Jersey Watershed, St. Thomas, VI

Santa Maria Bay D orothea Bay

Botany Bay
Fortuna Bay

Magens Bay

Mandal Bay

Perseverance Bay
St. Thomas Harbor
Cyril E. King Airport

Smith Bay
Jersey Bay

Hassel Island
Water Island

Red Hook Bay

F renchman Bay

Studies have shown that increased impervious areas increases the quantity of surface runoff. This
report presents a comparative analysis of the drainage pattern in the Benner Bay/Jersey
Watershed between the periods 1994 and 2007.
The data and tools used in this project serves as a demonstration of the opportunities available to
convert spatial data to new knowledge. The data inventory for this project includes:
- St. Thomas Watershed
- 2000 Rapid Ecological Assessment
- 1994 Elevation
- 2007 Elevation
- 2007 Aerial

APPROACH
The analysis for the Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed involves three phases:
1. Change in vegetation communities 1994 and 2007
69 | P a g e

2. Change in drainage network 1994 and 2007

3. Analysis of historical rainfall and stream flow rate data

PROCESSandRESULTS
Change in vegetation communities
Clip Features: The ESRI ArcView GIS clip feature tool was used to create the Benner
Bay/Jersey Watershed Rapid Ecological Assessment layer. The Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed
was selected from St. Thomas Watershed layer and defined as the clipping area (represents the
cookie cutter). The Rapid Ecological Assessment Vegetation Communities layer under the St.
Thomas Watershed was defined as the input layer. The output layer was comprised of only the
features within the clipping area. Along with the shape of the features the new output layer table
contained the entire input layer attributes (characteristics of feature e.g. Area, Perimeter or
Vegetation Structure).
Figure 2: Clipped vegetation communities for the Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed

The Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) layer delineated the
developed and vegetated areas based on 1994 ground conditions. The delineated vegetated areas
are classified into 8 vegetation structures (see Island Peak to Coral Reef (2005) for a detail
description of the vegetation structures). Areas developed after 1994 were updated to calculate
the loss of vegetated areas between 1994 and 2007. Figure 3 shows where three of the major
developments occurred in the Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed between 1998 and 2003:

Cost-U-Less 1998

Price Smart 2001

Home Depot 2003

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A table summarizing the amount of acres per vegetation structure was generated for 2000 and
2007. Table 1 shows there was a 4 percent increase in the developed category. In contrast, there
was a 3 percent and 7 percent decline in the herbaceous and shrubland category respectively.
Figure 3: Portion of Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed

Home Depot

Tutu Park Mall

Tutu Park Mall

Cost-U-Less

Price Smart

2000

2007

LEGEND
Developed

Shrubland

Dry Forest

Sparse Vegetation

Herbaceous

Wetland

Woodland

Table 1: Change in Jersey Watershed Vegetation Structure 1994 to 2007

STRUC TURE
D eveloped
D ry F orest
H erbaceous
Shrubland
Sparse Vegetation
W etland
W oodland

2000 ACR ES
2007 ACRES % C hange
1297.7560
1356.0400
4%
1235.0300
1235.0300
0%
158.3460
153.5100
-3%
716.5320
663.0840
-7%
9.7400
9.7400
0%
152.5820
152.5820
0%
8.3760
8.3760
0%
3578.3620
3578.3620

Change in drainage network

The stream analysis methodology used was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), and is used to more precisely map drainage
characteristics of an area. The Hec-GeoHMS Version 1.1 was used as an extension of ArcView
GIS 3.2 (see www.hec.usace.army.mil for more info on hec analysis). HEC analysis assumes
that all the rainfall is run-off and none is absorbed or evaporated.
The source for the 1994 Digital Terrain Model is the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers 1994 U.S.
Virgin Islands Project. The source for the 2007 Digital Terrain Model is the U.S. Army Corp. of
Engineers 2007 U.S. Virgin Islands Project. The clip feature source was the U.S. Virgin Islands
Department of Planning and Natural Resources 1999 Watershed Boundary.
71 | P a g e

Figure 4 : Areas where development occurred after 1994 in the Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed

CHANGE
True
False

HEC analysis shown in Figure 5 shows a significant change in the drainage network pattern
occurring only in two areas (Bertha C. Boschulte [BCB] Middle School and PriceSmart). In
1994, the area around the BCB Middle School the apparent run-off was away from the school;
however in 2007, the apparent run-off is channeled back toward the school. In the area around
PriceSmart, the apparent run-off in 1994 is concentrated in a vegetated area. Conversely in
2007, the apparent run-off is channeled in a developed area.
Figure 5: 1994 and 2007 HEC Analysis for the Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed

72 | P a g e

Historical Rainfall and Stream Flow Rate Data

Figure 6: Turpentine Run Ghut and Turpentine Run
To analyze the change in surface water flow after
Mt. Zion USGS Station
1994 in the Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed stream
flow data collected by the U.S. Geological Service
(USGS) Turpentine Run gauge station was
downloaded. The dataset analyzed covered the
period January 1994 through November 2006. In
Turpentine Run
Mt. Zion USGS Station
addition, rainfall data covering the same period
n Ghut
Ru
tine
pen
Tur
h
g
was downloaded from the National Weather
Service (NWS). Despite the Fort Mylner NWS
station being located in the subject watershed, the
rainfall data used for the analysis came from the
St. Thomas Airport NWS station. Rain data
collection at the Fort Mylner station was
discontinued 1995.
The top 100 rainfall (unit = inches) events
occurring during the period of analysis were
selected along with stream flow rate (unit = cubic feet per second) for that same event.
The distribution of events by year is shown in Table 2. The mean and median for each year was
calculated.
Table 2 100 Rainfall and Turpentine Run Stream Flow Events 1994-2006
YEAR
1994

1995

1999

2000

2001

Mean
N
Std. Deviation
Grouped Median
Mean
N
Std. Deviation
Grouped Median
Mean
N
Std. Deviation
Grouped Median
Mean
N
Std. Deviation
Grouped Median
Mean
N
Std. Deviation
Grouped Median

Rainfall (in) Stream Flow

1.25
4
0.47
1.17
1.37
8
0.33
1.50
1.55
9
0.65
1.54
1.57
3
0.32
1.60
1.21
11
0.30
1.14

(cf/s)
0.80
4
0.87
0.54
2.58
8
1.94
2.45
20.25
9
37.94
7.00
3.55
3
3.18
3.40
2.09
11
2.90
0.75

YEAR
Rainfall (in) Stream Flow (cf/s)
2002 Mean
1.67
3.14
N
8
8
Std. Deviation
0.87
3.13
Grouped Median
1.57
2.60
2003 Mean
2.09
60.40
N
14
14
Std. Deviation
1.25
106.78
Grouped Median
1.59
5.30
2004 Mean
2.20
77.71
N
9
9
Std. Deviation
2.16
168.06
Grouped Median
1.19
8.60
2005 Mean
1.50
7.13
N
19
19
Std. Deviation
0.98
8.57
Grouped Median
1.16
3.70
2006 Mean
1.12
1.88
N
15
15
Std. Deviation
0.24
1.92
Grouped Median
0.98
1.20

In Figure 7 it shows there was an increase in average rainfall between 1994 and 2000. For the
same period there was also an increased in the average Turpentine Run stream flow discharge
(see Figure 8). Nevertheless, when the average rainfall declined 2001 below the 1994 average
rainfall the 2001 average stream flow (0.75 cf/s) was higher than the 1994 average stream flow
(0.54 cf/s). Despite the 2006 average rainfall (1.0 in) being lower the 2001 average rainfall (1.1
73 | P a g e

in) the 2006 average stream flow (1.2 cf/s) was higher than the 1994 and 2001 average stream
flows.
Figure 7: 1994-2006 Median Rainfall (inches)

Median RAIN (in)

1.2

1.1
1.0

Median RAIN (in)

19
94
19
95
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06

1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0

Figure 8: Turpentine Run Station Median Flow Rate Discharge

Median DISCHARGE (cfs)

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Median DISCHARGE (cfs)

0.54

0.75

1.2

CONCLUSION
The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) tools provided an efficient way to historically
analyze the Benner Bay/Jersey Watershed. The update of the vegetation map for the study
watershed only required the delineation of those areas that had changed after the original map.
74 | P a g e

The HEC analysis reduced the time that would have been needed to perform complicated
calculations to create the drainage network system for 1994 and 2007.
The results of this limited study reveal that during the period major development occurred in
areas impacting the Turpentine Run Ghut there was an increase in the average stream flow rate
for that ghut. The results of this study should not be generalized. During the period being
analyzed channels were improved or expanded. A more extensive study is needed to analyze the
stream flow rate during the unimproved channel period versus the improved channel period.
This study supports the need for establishing and maintaining environmental monitoring stations
for the purpose of planning and to measure post development impact. Flooding is a watershed
management issue familiar to individuals who are technical or nontechnical. The history of
housing development in the Virgin Islands is replete with cases where anecdotal information and
technical studies warning of flooding were ignored for the benefit of increasing the stock of
affordable housing units. Interviews with residents of St. Croix: Mon Bijou, Williams Delight,
or St. Georges and St. Thomas: Bovoni, Nadir or Lindberg would reveal words of regrets - if I
had only known.
GIS provides the opportunity for building public awareness and an efficient approach to
comprehensive planning. The map outputs for this project provide a visual of the drainage and
development patterns in the watershed. This visualization is useful in explaining to a nontechnical audience the areas that may be prone to flooding and the impact changes in the
landscape may have on its surrounding area. This is possible through the integration of data
collected, maintained and shared by public and private organizations.

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