ABOUT THE RIVER
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....
Supporting inclusive public river access
FOR's Spanish language program focuses on river safety and conservation Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) believes the Rappahannock River is a treasure to be enjoyed by everyone and we support inclusive public access. In our support of public access, we have created...
Calling local performing artists!
Oyster Restoration VIP River Experience
“If you look closely across the bow you can see we are about to be surrounded by them” said Captain Moncure as he guided the River Steward boat across an oyster reef in Carter’s Creek. My friends and I had signed up to spend a day with Friends of the Rappahannock...
Local musicians bring love for the river
Benefit show at Belmont features acoustic favorites Hazel Run Many area residents have a close relationship with “their river,” which weaves through nearly every aspect of living in this region. Whether by history, adventure, or the arts, the Rappahannock helps define...
Three tips for catching big summertime smallmouth on the Rappahannock
The upper Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers are home to some of the finest smallmouth bass waters in Virginia. There are lunkers to be found, but they're crafty and hard to land if you don't know where to look. Here’s three tips to help you find that trophy bass this...
Upper Rappahannock has a new dominant fish
Channel cats are the top dog above the fall line The ecology of the upper Rappahannock River is changing. The good news is, fisheries biologists are not alarmed. The bad news is… well, there really isn’t any bad news. “The upper Rappahannock River remains a...
A Legacy of River Protection and Restoration in the Rappahannock
Article by UMW Professor Jason Sellers for America's Most Endangered River series The Rappahannock River has long been a focal point for Virginia’s human communities, and its health remains vital for Virginians today. Although often confident in the resilience of...
Quarterly bird counts indicate river health
Every year, FOR conducts four bird counts during the summer in partnership with Andrew Dolby, Biology Professor at the University of Mary Washington, and his ornithology students. A small team of students paddles down the river from Mott's Run to the I-95 bridge and...
Embrey Dam: Explore the aftermath of a special moment in our river’s history
This February marks the 14th anniversary of the removal of the Embrey Dam, an act which turned the Rappahannock River into the longest free-flowing river in the eastern U.S. The 22-foot-tall dam's removal in 2004 transformed the ecology and the landscape of the...
Pickerel Frogs
If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably seen at least a couple frogs. If not, then don’t hold your breath for the next few months; most amphibians in the Northern Hemisphere are hibernating until spring. When animals hibernate, they cease most bodily activities...
Rappahannock River Tributaries TMDLs
The Rappahannock River watershed has several thousand miles of tributaries that drain land areas from all or portions of 18 counties from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. The watershed has land uses ranging from industrial manufacturing,...
Raising brook trout, just like Mother Nature
Trout in the Classroom is a self-contained, fun lesson in ecology When I talk to students about the Trout in the Classroom (TIC), I use words like connectivity, mimicry, nature, experiment, life, and death. These are important words, underscoring much of what we do...
“River rat” loves his life along the Rappahannock
"I like to get down there in my chair either at sunup or sundown — that 20 minutes between light and dark is almost magical out there. There’s so much going on. The daytime creatures are getting ready for bed, and the nighttime creatures are coming out. I like to sit...
Natural infrastructure is Virginia’s best defense against hurricanes
No natural disaster sparks the anxieties of Virginians quite like a hurricane. Many remember Isabel, which inundated the Hampton Roads area and pushed a nine-foot storm surge up the James to Richmond in 2003. Anyone unlucky enough to live in Nelson County in 1969 will...
How do I check water levels?
FOR uses the USGS Water Data site for real-time information on water levels on the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. Go here to see the latest data on water levels. The recommended level for safe recreational use is below 3.5 ft at the Rappahannock River gauge near Fredericksburg.
Is the fish safe to eat?
Yes, for the most part. There are certain recommendations. More detail here.