People, Land and Water at the
Headwaters of the
Rappahannock River Basin

14 Goals and Tools for Protecting Vulnerable Watersheds

Taking into consideration the current status and potential future development of the vulnerable subwatersheds, and the concerns of landowners, the following are suggested goals that might be adopted and pursued by the landowners, conservation groups, county, and state government agencies.

1. Increase monitoring of water quality and water quantity, and make this information accessible to the community.
2. Particularly in the least-protected subwatersheds, increase the percentage of riparian buffer zone that is managed to provide protection for streams, water quality, water supply, and wildlife habitat.
3. Increase the percentage, countywide, of privately held land in easement.from the present 20% to 40%.

14.1 Goal 1: Increase monitoring of water quality and water quantity, and make this information accessible to the community

Currently there are only about a dozen water quality monitoring stations active in Rappahannock County.  The number of water quality monitoring locations should be continually increased, especially in the most vulnerable subwatersheds. 

The historical and current data from the DEQ monitoring stations are available on the Internet, but require more technical and scientific skill to access and interpret than is typical in the general public.  Methods need to be devised that will make these data more readily accessible to the general public, and to bring the data to the attention of those concerned with water quality and quantity.

There is increasing need to establish baseline information regarding precipitation, water supply and water quantity, both surface water and ground water, and then to monitor changes over time. 

14.2 Goal 2: Increase the percentage of 100-foot riparian buffer zone that is managed to provide protection for streams, from the present 62% to 80%

The single most effective way to improve the health of our watersheds and water quality and quantity, is to increase the amount of well-vegetated buffer area along the streams. 

Figure 1: Riparian Buffer Zones¹

Zone 1 occupies the first 15 feet from the stream bank and ideally should be made up of undisturbed mature forest. The primary purpose of this region of the buffer is to stabilize the stream bank and provide shade to the stream.

Zone 2 is the land from 15 to 100 feet from the bank, and is ideally a managed forest; meaning that the forest is being maintained to ensure that it is able to effectively filter the water.   The primary purpose of this zone is to remove, transform, or store nutrients, sediments and other pollutants flowing over the surface and through the groundwater before they can reach the stream or aquifers. 

Zone 3 is an optional zone used primarily for run off control in areas where a higher flow is expected. It typically consists of a grass filter strip that slows the run off and allows more the water to enter the ground.

Forested riparian buffers perform the following functions:

• They help prevent upland sources of pollution from reaching the stream by trapping, filtering, and converting sediments, nutrients, and chemicals. 
• They supply food, cover, and thermal protection to fish and wildlife.
• They preserve the integrity of the stream in terms of aquatic organisms, depth, flow, and width by slowing the water and stabilizing the bank.
• They refresh ground water by slowing the water down and allowing it to penetrate the soil, watering plants and refilling aquifers which wells draw water from.

Tools: Conservation Incentive and Cost-Sharing Programs

The Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District (CSWCD) and the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administer several programs funded by the federal and state government to provide technical and financial assistance to land owners for soil and water conservation purposes.

Here is one example of how big a difference these programs can make to a watershed. As of early 2006, there were only 86 acres of stream buffers in the Lower Rush subwatershed protected through agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) implemented with support of the CREP program.  In that subwatershed, there were no acres of BMP’s implemented through Virginia cost-sharing programs, except in conjunction with the CREP implementation. In the summer of 2006, Robert Haskell, owner of Pleasant View Farm, protected the health of the streams and the cattle with cost-sharing  through a combination of CREP and Virginia incentive programs.  The farm built 16,700 feet of fencing along the Rush River and its tributaries, planted trees in 42 acres of riparian buffer area, and created alternative water sources for livesk.  This single project increased the percentage of forested stream buffer by about 12 percent in this subwatershed. 

The 2008 Farm Bill legislation authorizes significant increases in funding for conservation practices. 

Tools: Landowner education, assessments, and restoration of riparian buffers

Considerable work has been done by the County, the CSWCD, RappFLOW, and others, to reach out to the public with information and technical assistance to improve their protection of stream buffer areas. Still, mowing down to the stream or pond is a common sight everywhere in the County.

In the summer of 2006, RappFLOW began building a program to engage landowners in learning about riparian buffers and in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of buffers.  This foundation includes research on the subject of riparian buffers, consultation with experts from the Department of Forestry and the CSWCD, draft handbook and buffer assessment forms, a step-by-step strategy for homeowners, and workshops conducted with landowners and other interested persons. There are numerous brochures, reference materials available. Further development and implementation of this program will be essential in meeting the goal of increasing the riparian buffer quality. 

14.3 Goal 3: Increase the percentage of privately held land in easement from the present 20% to 40%

Conservation easements vary in the extent of protections they provide for streams and groundwater.  The Virginia Outdoors Foundation is increasingly requiring stronger protections for example for stream buffer vegetation.  In any case, the easements do protect against future subdivision and development, and provide some help against takings by utility companies and government agencies. More than half of survey respondents cited the threat of future land subdivision and population growth as threats of highest concern.  Sixty-five percent of respondents said they encourage conservation easements.

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) currently considers for easement only parcels 100 acres or larger. About 40,000 acres in the County are still in parcels of 100 acres or more, and are not presently in easement.  This provides 28% of land area candidate for additional VOF easement.  In addition are a large number of forested parcels fifty acres or greater that may qualify for Department Of Forestry easement.  Additional easements may be made through DHR and private land trusts.

Organizations that assist landowners in donating easements, including Piedmont Environmental Council, Rappahannock County Conservation Alliance, Krebser Fund, and the Farmland Preservation Program, might consider placing a high priority on those subwatershed areas shown by this study to be the least well protected.

Tools: VA Outdoors Foundation Conservation Easements

Conservation easements through the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) represent a significant opportunity for landowners to protect a substantial part of the land from further subdivision and development. Between 2005 and 2007, the percentage of land area protected by conservation easement (VOF) in the Lower Rush increased from less than four percent to over 9 percent.  In Rapppahannock County overall, easements represent nearly 20 percent of privately owned land area.

Tools: VA Department Of Forestry Easements

The Virginia Department of Forestry recently announced they will hold easements. The VDOF easements require a minimum of 50 acres parcel, 75% forested, and a forestry management plan.  Several thousand acres in Rappahannock County qualify for this program.  In addition, landowners who are currently in land use taxation under the forest use provisions of land use may choose the permanent protections of a DOF easement.

Tools: Historic Districts and Rural Historic Districts

The Comprehensive Plan encourages both historic districts and rural historic districts. The only difference is size.  Washington, Sperryville, and Laurel Mills are registered historic districts. F.T. Valley (Rt. 231) is slated to become our first registered rural historic district.  

If a landowner owns a property the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) considers historic, the owner can donate an easement to DHR and receive all the financial benefits of a VOF-type donation. Properties in a registered historic district are automatically eligible to apply for historic easements.

Historic easements are important to watershed protection because DHR accepts the easement on both the structure and the surrounding land.  For example, a landowner with an historic property on 70 acres will likely be turned down by VOF, but accepted by DHR.

Tools: Scenic River and Scenic Byway Designations

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation looks more favorably on easement donations that front on state designated Scenic Rivers.  At present, the only such river in the County is the Rappahannock.  
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which awards the designation, has recommended that several other rivers in the County be evaluated for their scenic properties.  The Hughes River is in process and may be our second.  Landowner groups on other major streams including the Jordan River have made some initial steps towards obtaining the designation.
VOF is also more disposed to accept an easement on properties that front on state-designated Virginia Byways.  The County has four — Crest Hill Road, Fodderstack Road, F.T. Valley, and Rt. 522 from Chester Gap to the Culpeper line.  The Virginia Department of Transportation shows Ben Venue Road as a Virginia Byway on its maps, although DCR has not officially recognized it.

Tools: Purchase of Development Rights (PDR)

In a PDR program, a certain value is placed upon a landowner’s right to subdivide his property under existing zoning and subdivision ordinances.  Those rights can be purchased by a government agency (or by some other organization such as a land trust.)  This enables the landowner, such as a farmer with limited income, to obtain needed income (from the purchase of the rights), without having to subdivide and sell his property.  The advantage of a PDR program to the citizens of the community is that they protect their locality from excessive population growth and hence from higher taxes in future. The program also benefits all residents of the community by keeping the land scenic and rural, as well as maintaining healthier ecosystems by avoiding development, thus contributing to the quality of life.  Rappahannock County now has a limited PDR program in its Farmland Preservation Program, but that has very limited funding at present.  One option for the taxpayers of the county is to encourage the county government to expand the PDR program through a small tax on property, earmarked for this purpose.

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