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...
Plastic Bag Tax – A Year Later
On January 1st, 2022, the City of Fredericksburg rang in the New Year by being one of the first municipalities in Virginia to impose a 5-cent tax on disposable plastic bags distributed at all grocery stores, convenience stores and drugstores in the City. Friends of...
Creating Young River Stewards; $236K grant Establishes Watershed Education for City Schools
Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) is proud to announce that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has funded three years of Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) for City of Fredericksburg schools (FCPS). Spread over three school years, the...
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...
Do you know what’s living in the Rappahannock?
If you’ve ever walked along the Rappahannock River or taken a boat ride down to the Chesapeake Bay, it’s likely you’ve recognized some familiar species along the Rappahannock River watershed. Although these outdoor experiences can be a healthy and meaningful way to...
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.
