Fishing on the Hazel. Photo courtesy Sally Mello.

by Paul R. Farmer, October 2005

Are you from here, or did you come here? If you love pure, clean water in babbling brooks and trout swimming in cool dark pools (and who doesn't?), it shouldn't matter. We have some of both in Rappahannock County. But we have one stream in particular that has recognized, outstanding qualities of pure water, scenic beauty, and recreational characteristics… the Hazel River.

The Hazel flows from its headwaters high in the Blue Ridge near Hazel Mountain, winding its way through Rappahannock and Culpeper Counties to the Rappahannock River on the Fauquier County line near Remington. The Hazel River is a gem of pure, clean water tumbling and meandering through mountain forests, peaceful meadows, and rural farmlands. Can we keep the Hazel in its pristine state? Can we protect it from new sources of pollution, industrial waste, and sewage? Can we protect it from gradual degradation or catastrophic collapse? Maybe.

The state of Virginia has a program to designate our most outstanding streams as
"Exceptional State Water," also known as Tier III classification. The purpose of the program is to protect the quality of water in our very finest streams, mainly by excluding the designated stream from consideration for discharges of industrial waste and treated sewage from new or expanded industries and sewage treatment plants. Very few Virginia streams qualify for Tier III designation. The Hazel is one of the few that probably qualifies; at least its Rappahannock County segment appears to, and possibly the Culpeper segment as well.

The entire length of the Hazel River in Rappahannock and Culpeper Counties has been
nominated by Sally Mello, mother of Rappahannock High School principal Roger Mello and
neighbor residing in Culpeper County, for Tier III consideration.

It is important to keep in mind that designation as a Tier III stream, while protecting a
pristine river from the most egregious misuse (industrial waste and treated sewage
dumping), has no adverse impact on landowners on or near the river. Property along the
river will continue to be completely in private ownership, control, and management. Access to the river is not in any way altered by Tier III designation. Landowners can continue to post, hunt, log, farm, or graze their land. While we all hope that every farmer and every landowner would use "best management practices" for the benefit of a healthy environment and land conservation, there is no more requirement to do so after Tier III designation than before. Tier III classification neither restricts livestock from streams nor requires riparian buffers or fences.

This is a win-win situation for everyone. We all benefit from clean water, the absence of
polluting industries, and the prevention of high-density development that follows the
installation of urban-like sewage treatment plants. Tier III classification for the Hazel is
good for all of us in Rappahannock County, but especially for those who live on or near the river. With Tier III designation, the Hazel River corridor can remain clean and scenic and serene, even if the day comes when our progressive zoning laws fail to protect us.

The Tier III classification process depends upon citizen nomination and citizen participation every step of the way. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is now evaluating the nomination on its procedural merits and the river on its technical merits. Riparian landowners, those with property within 1,000 feet of the river in either county, have been asked by DEQ's Water Control Board (WCB) to give their views on the proposed Tier III designation by December 19.

All citizens of the two counties will have the opportunity to formally express their views to
DEQ's WCB between November 28 and December 19. Citizens will also have an opportunity for comment to their respective Boards of Supervisors at the Rappahannock County BOS meeting on December 5 or the Culpeper BOS on December 6. Written or telephonic comment to your Supervisor can be made at any time. To clear all hurdles, the Board of Supervisors of each county needs to endorse the proposed Tier III classification in an official resolution, by December 19, the close of DEQ's public comment period.

This is where we "been here's" and we "come here's" all come in. It is time for each of us to individually let our local county supervisor and if you are a Rappahannock County citizen, especially Pete Estes, our Chairman of the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors, know that we support Tier III designation of the Hazel. (For contact information for Rappahannock County Supervisors, click here, and for Culpeper County Supervisors, click here.) Early expression of your views will have more impact than waiting for the opportunity to testify in the brief public comment period.

Please support Tier III protection of the Hazel. Call your supervisor. Get his commitment to vote to recommend Tier III classification. Do it now, and maybe "Never" will never come.

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