Virginia Outdoors Plan | Legislation | SR Board | Benefits of Designation | Designation Process | Criteria | List of Designated Rivers (PDF) | Map of Designated Rivers (PDF) | Mechanisms for Conservation of River Corridors | John Smith Water Trail (offsite) | Program Brochure (PDF) | Contact

Happy Anniversary!

Virginia's Scenic Rivers Program turns 40 in 2010 so we've worked up a few publications and other content to mark the occasion. Check out the following to learn more.

• FAQ
• Scenic Rivers background
• Feature article for your newsletter
• A letter from Scenic River Board Chair Richard Gibbons and DCR Director Joseph H. Maroon

The Program

Virginia Scenic Rivers Program’s intent is to identify, designate and help protect rivers and streams that possess outstanding scenic, recreational, historic and natural characteristics of statewide significance for future generations. This program is managed by the state and should not be confused with the federal Department of the Interior’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Program. One of the program’s strengths is the partnership forged between citizens, local governments and the state. This partnership begins in the evaluation phase and continues through and after the designation process.

Scenic river designations result from initiatives from partnerships of local groups, local governments, state agencies and the Virginia General Assembly. In addition to existing designated state scenic rivers, other river segments have been deemed worthy of further study. See Virginia Outdoors Plan Chapter VII-F Scenic Rivers (PDF), pages 152-160, for more detail. You may also view this slideshow (PDF) for more details about the program.

The program's focus is on enhancing the conservation of scenic rivers and their corridors. State and federal agencies must take into consideration how projects and programs affect state scenic rivers. DCR is ready to help localities and the Virginia Scenic River Board develop planning tools for use by localities to enhance the conservation and protection of scenic river corridors. That said, the given locality ultimately decides what to institute.

The program’s enabling legislation is the Virginia Scenic Rivers Act of 1970, §10.1-400. Within the legislation, the Virginia Scenic Rivers Board was created to promote and enhance the program. Board members (PDF) from across Virginia discuss issues and make recommendations on the stewardship of existing scenic rivers and expansion of the program with other eligible river segments. For more detail, see this list of designated rivers (PDF) and map of designated rivers (PDF). The Meherrin River in Brunswick County is the most recent designation, added on June 25, 2006.

• Provides opportunities to consider scenic and other resources in planning and design.
• Focuses Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) reviews of hydro or related project proposals.
• Encourages closer review of projects and proposals by state agencies and localities.
• Requires General Assembly authorization for dams.
• Provides for continued existing appropriate riparian land uses.
• Allows for project review and monitoring of designated river segments by governor-appointed Virginia Scenic River Board.
• Provides framework for appointment of a local Scenic River Advisory Committee.
• Provides eligibility for land use tax considerations, if locally adopted.
• Download What the Designation Does and Does Not Do (PDF) for more detail.

The following steps are taken in the designation of a candidate river segment.

1. Local governing board requests that DCR study the candidate river segment.
2. DCR conducts a study and determines the eligibility of river segment.
3. Local governing board accepts study report and passes a resolution endorsing designation of the qualifying river segment.
4. Legislative sponsor is found by local governing board to sponsor a designation bill in General Assembly.

Download A Guide to Citizen Involvement in the Scenic River Designation Process (PDF) for more detail.

• Stream corridor vegetation
• Streambed and stream flow modifications
• Human development of visual corridor
• Historic features
• Landscape
• Quality of fishery
• Rare, threatened or endangered species
• Water quality
• Parallel roads
• Crossings
• Special features affecting aesthetics

The commonwealth has various land conservation mechanisms that can be used to protect scenic and water qualities of river corridors. Several are listed below. Click the program link for more details.

• CREP Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, for agricultural land along rivers.
• State Land Evaluation Advisory Committee Standards for Classification of Real Estate (pages 11-12 of the Virginia Outdoors Plan) for qualified lands adjacent to floodways. Click here for associated Code of Virginia.
• VLCF, Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, to establish permanent conservation easements and to purchase open spaces.
• Conservation of Working Forests, a Virginia Department of Forestry conservation program for working forests along streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

For more information, contact us through Lynn Crump, Environmental Programs Planner, Lynn.Crump@dcr.virginia.gov or (804) 786-5054, or Chairman Richard G. Gibbons, Virginia Scenic Rivers Board, at JGib415426@aol.com or (804) 222-8297.