Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay

Virginia is one of six states that directly impact the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The other states are Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New York and West Virginia. Virginia has 15.3 million acres of land, or approximately 62 percent of the state, in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Over half of Virginia's streams and rivers flow to the Bay. Two-thirds of the state's 7.5 million residents live within the watershed.

Agriculture accounts for more than half of the land use in the Bay watershed. Eight of Virginia's top ten agricultural counties are located in the Bay watershed- Rockingham, Augusta, Page, Accomack, Shenandoah, Amelia, Southampton and Fauquier. The type of agricultural operations vary widely throughout the watershed. In the Shenandoah Valley, there are small to medium dairies, poultry farms and grass-based beef operations. Central Virginia’s Piedmont region features a mix of beef and cash grain operations. The Coastal Plain is dominated by corn and soybeans, small grains, some vegetable production and an expanding nursery stock industry.

NRCS conservationist reviews conservation plan with farmer.

Conservation Assistance in the Chesapeake Bay

NRCS provides technical assistance to farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to plan and apply conservation practices to improve water quality, restore wetlands, and enhance wildlife habitat. Financial assistance is provided through Farm Bill programs to help implement these practices.

How can NRCS help me help the Bay?
...Explore NRCS' programs in Virginia
...Prior Year Funding
...Use USDA's Service Center Locator to identify your local NRCS contact

Buffer along stream in Eastern Shore

What Farmers are doing in the Chesapeake Bay

Farmers are doing their part to reduce pollutants to the Bay. They have planted more than 2,000 miles of stream buffers for cleaner water. They are also fencing cattle out of streams, properly managing manure, and installing other conservation practices. In 2005, these practices prevented nearly half a million tons of sediment from entering the Bay.

NRCS 2006 Conservation Activities within the Bay Watershed

...Success Stories in the Chesapeake Bay

VA Tech's feed management project