Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Its purpose is to identify, designate and protect rivers and streams with outstanding scenic, recreational, historic and natural characteristics.
No, the Scenic Rivers Program is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The federal Department of the Interior’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Program is managed separately and has its own criteria. For more information about the federal program, visit www.rivers.gov.
The program's enabling legislation, the Virginia Scenic Rivers Act, was passed in 1970.
The Virginia Scenic Rivers systemis constantly evolving with new segments adding to the number of rivers as well as total miles that have been designated. Segments are identified in both our VOP Mapper and Scenic Rivers Interactive Map. Please contact us to verify the current number of rivers, segments, and total mile that have been designated or which may be qualified and are under consideration.
Potential segments are identified by the local community as meeting the following minimum requirements:
This information will be verified by the DCR before any further steps are taken.
Each river segment is evaluated using 14 factors or criteria; these were established to provide a uniform gauge by which all waterways are measured. Major factors include water quality, corridor development, recreational access, historic features, natural features, visual appeal, quality of fisheries, and the presence of unique habitat or species. Learn more
After navigating the Scenic River evaluation process, and the river qualifies, a scenic river report describing the waterwayi s prepared and published through DCR. The report includes support from local governments and comments from state agencies. If the locality wants the designation to go forward, it must get its legislators to take a bill to the General Assembly for consideration. When the bill is passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor, the waterway is designated as a scenic river. Learn more
DCR administers the Virginia Scenic Rivers program and periodically assesses conditions along each scenic river segment. DCR also supports the program’s advisory board, informing the board of program-related issues.
Only if the private landowner allows it. There are no additional rights along scenic river corridors for the general public.
State and federal agencies must consider how projects and programs affect state scenic rivers. DCR can help localities develop planning tools to enhance the conservation and protection of scenic river corridors through land conservation mechanisms. Ultimately, the given locality decides which protection measures to institute.
For properties along designated scenic rivers, a special tax assessment may be given to reduce the tax liability, as valued by the State Land Evaluation Advisory Council, if adopted by the locality.
No. Instead, it gives riparian landowners and other local citizens a stronger voice in any government action or decisions that may impact ‘their’ river.
The following lists identify what a Scenic Rivers Designation does and does not do. While this list attempts to be comprehensive, we encourage you to contact us if you have specific questions about what the Program and what a designation may mean for your community.
What Scenic River Designation Does
What Scenic River Designation Does Not Do
