Taskinas Creek reserve encompasses 397 ha (980acres) within the boundaries of York River State Park. The Taskinas Creek watershed is representative of an inner coastal plain rural watershed within the southern Chesapeake Bay system. The watershed is dominated by forested and agricultural land uses with an increasing residential land use component.

The non-tidal portion of Taskinas Creek contains feeder streams that drain oak-hickory forests, maple-gum-ash swamps and freshwater marshes. Freshwater mixed wetlands are found in the upstream reaches of Taskinas Creek. Three-square (Scirpus americanus and S. olneyi) and big cordgrass (Spartina cynosauroides) characterize the middle marsh reaches. Salt marsh vegetation dominated by Spartina alterniflora is found in the lower reaches of the creek, near the outlet to the York River. Taskinas Creek is roughly 2 meters deep and 20 meters wide towards the lower end of the creek. Tides are semi-diurnal and range from 0.4-1.2 m, averaging 0.85 m. Sub-tidal substrate is dominated by fine sediments.

Mean water temperature from 1997 to 1998 was 5-7 °C during the winter and 26-28 °C in the summer. The minimum and maximum water temperature recorded between 1996-1998 was - 0.7 °C in January of 1996 and 35.1 °C in July 1998. Mean salinity in Taskinas Creek was on the order of 14-16 ppt in the summer and 3-5 ppt in the winter for 1997-1998. Minimum and maximum salinity recorded in 1996 - 1998 was 0.1 ppt in March 1996 and 20.3 ppt in November 1998. Mean dissolved oxygen values in 1996 and 1997 were lowest in the summer and greatest in the winter. Mean dissolved oxygen values below 50% saturation were only observed during parts of July 1996 and June 1997. Hypoxia was rarely observed and when present, lasted less than 2% of the time. Mean dissolved oxygen readings > 100% saturation (supersaturation) were frequently observed. Wildlife populations are known to influence microbiological water quality in Taskinas Creek.

Location and Access:

Taskinas Creek (37° 24' N; 76° 42' W) is located in York River State Park near the town of Croaker, in James City County, Virginia. The small subestuary of the York River is located on the southern side of the river, approximately 22 km upriver from VIMS and 44 km from the mouth of the York River. Access is available by water and through the York River State Park.

Monitoring Programs:

Water Quality Monitoring - An Endeco YSI Environmental Monitoring System PC6000 or PC6600 is deployed in a permanent station near the mouth of the creek 2 meters from shore. Average water depth at the station is approximately 1.5 meters. Sub-tidal substrate at this site is dominated by fine sediments (42% fine sand, 30% clay and 28% silt). Water temperature, depth, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity and turbidity have been recorded at the Taskinas Creek since September 1995. Since 2002, water column inorganic nutrients (ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, ortho-phosphate), total dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus, and chlorophyll are determined monthly at the water quality monitoring station. In addition, these parameters are determined once a month over a diel sampling period at a 2.5 hr sampling interval.

Biological Monitoring - The York River at the Taskinas Creek inlet was added as a sampling station for the CBNERRVA York River shallow water seine survey in 2001. Fish, blue crab and grass shrimp size and density data were collected monthly from February through July. Please contact Reserve staff for more information regarding this or any other CBNERRVA monitoring program.

Meteorological Monitoring - A Campbell Scientific UT-10 meteorological station records wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). The weather station was established in April 1998 and is currently operational.