Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Virginia’s working farms and forests, battlefields and other historic sites, natural areas, parks and rivers are critical to its economy, culture and quality of life. In 1999, the assembly and governor established the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF) to fund protection of these resources. The interactive map below depicts VLCF-grant projects funded since 2000.
| Name: | Copper Creek Initiative |
|---|---|
| Category: | Open Spaces and Parks |
| Grant Round: | FY22 |
| Acres: | 8 |
| Locality: | Scott County |
| Management Agency: | The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources |
| Owner: | State |
| ConserveVirginia: | Natural Habitat & Ecosystem Diversity, Floodplains & Flooding Resilience, Scenic Preservation |
| Amount Awarded: | $100,000.00 |
| Applicant: | Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources |
| Latitude: | 36.655205 |
| Longitude: | -82.742385 |
| Description: | The Department of Wildlife Resources seeks to acquire and conserve an eight-acre parcel located at the confluence of Copper Creek and the Clinch River in Scott County. The shoreline along the Clinch River will provide a new fishing and boating access for the public. Companion public boating access sites are located 2.5 miles upstream and 9.5 miles downstream. The site is easily accessible, located 0.6 miles from a four-lane highway. DWR will protect the shorelines of Copper Creek that transect the property, removing threats of sedimentation and nutrient-loading. Many rare and endangered fish are known near the mouth of Copper Creek, including several Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Copper Creek has been a refuge for many species during, and as a source of replenishment after, pollution events in the Clinch River. Twenty-eight mussel species, including 19 federally endangered, have been reported from Copper Creek, which is by far the most of any tributary on the Virginia side of the Clinch River. |
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