OUR MISSION
To be the voice and active force for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River.
Our Vision
A Rappahannock River… that is clean and safe for fish consumption and recreation from its Headwaters to its confluence with the Chesapeake.
A Rappahannock River… that supports a healthy and diverse aquatic ecosystem, with submerged grasses, oysters, crabs and other species returned to their historic levels and productivity.
A Rappahannock River Watershed… where land use and runoff is managed to protect and enhance our riparian habitats, downstream waters, scenic viewsheds and historical resources.
A Rappahannock River Community… where the citizens and local governments are educated about river stewardship, where they take a sense of personal stewardship over the river resource, and where they take action in their own backyards and communities to protect it.
WHAT WE DO
Pursuing Scenic River Designation for the Lower Rappahannock River
2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the Virginia Scenic Rivers Act. In 1970, the Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation authorizing the establishment of a Virginia Scenic Rivers System. The legislation charged the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)...
Cost-share programs available to improve your farm, forests and waterways
If you own, lease, manage, or support a farming operation in the Rappahannock River watershed, there are lots of opportunities to improve the natural resources of your farm, forests, and waterways which lead to the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay. There’s...
Dissecting Oysters, Culture & Impact
“I can see the gills! I wish I had gills!” one student at St. Clare Walker Middle School exclaimed while dissecting an oyster. Experiences such as these bring students one step closer to understanding and appreciating the importance of river stewardship. Thanks to...
Cost-share programs available to improve your farm, forests and waterways
If you own, lease, manage, or support a farming operation in the Rappahannock River watershed, there are lots of opportunities to improve the natural resources of your farm, forests, and waterways which lead to the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay. There’s...
ChesBay Report Card: The Rappahannock’s grade tanked in 2019. Here are four lessons we can learn from this.
The University of Maryland’s newly published 2019 Chesapeake Bay Report Card found that the water quality in the Rappahannock River fell significantly between 2018 and 2019, from a C grade to a D, based on 7 indicators of water quality. It’s hard to sugar coat this....
Riverwatch
Our Riverwatch map provides geographic data on the Rappahannock and helps you understand how FOR is helping keep our river healthy.
Impaired Rappahannock River Waterways
Learn more about how your local waterways are doing in pollutant reduction.