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

Community Efforts for Mountain Run
Mountain Run is a stream that flows through downtown Culpeper. It begins in agricultural fields before it feeds two drinking water reservoirs, flows through several popular park spaces, under bridges and highways, through backyards, and into the Rappahannock River. In...

Oyster Wars
The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, has a rich history filled with natural beauty and conflict. One such conflict was the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Wars, a destructive struggle for control over the region’s oyster beds that took place in the late...

Investing in Education Across the Watershed
Do you remember your “Ah ha!” moment? That moment when you understood your connection to the natural world? That moment when you knew you were going to start the lifelong journey of making sound decisions for the benefit of the environment? That is the goal of our...

Mountain Run Watershed Getting Attention
CULPEPER, VA— On Friday January 22, 2021 staff members from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Rappahannock Rapidan Regional Commission (RRRC), Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR), and the Town and County of Culpeper met at multiple sites along...

ALL ABOUT SHAD!
As spring comes to the Rappahannock river community, you’re probably hearing a lot about a fish called the shad. You may also be wondering, what is a shad? How do you catch one? Can I eat it? Here are a few facts about the shad you may not have known. ...
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.