The Hazel River, which starts in Rappahannock and empties into the Rappahannock River in Culpeper County, has been nominated for designation and protection as an Exceptional State Water, also known as Tier III classification.

RLEP has joined with other interested citizen groups to form the Hazel River Task Force. In a special issue [pdf, 1 MB] of RLEP News, we explain how the Hazel came to be nominated, what Tier III classification means, and how you can help ensure that this river—an outstanding Virginia natural resource—gets the protection it deserves. Citizen support for the Hazel is critical if it is to gain the special status and protection of Tier III designation. It cannot happen without you!

The Hazel River is a gem of pure, clean water tumbling and meandering through mountain forests, peaceful meadows, and rural farmlands from its headwaters high in the Blue Ridge near Hazel Mountain to the Rappahannock River near Remington. (Click to see map.) It has outstanding qualities of scenic beauty and recreational opportunities.

Can we keep the Hazel in its pristine state? Can we protect it from gradual degradation or catastrophic collapse? Maybe.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires a section of state water-quality regulations to allow for the designation of waterways as "outstanding natural resource waters," called "exceptional waters" in Virginia. The purpose of Virginia's Exceptional Waters Program is to protect the quality of our very finest streams. According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, this is accomplished "mainly by excluding the designated stream from consideration for waste discharges from new or expanded industries and from sewage treatment plants."

Designation as Tier III, while protecting a pristine river from the most egregious misuse, has no adverse impact on landowners. 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 hunt, log, farm, irrigate, or graze livestock on 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, Tier III designation does not impose more requirements. It 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 large sewage-treatment plants. Tier III classification for the Hazel is good for all of us in Rappahannock and Culpeper counties. With Tier III designation, the Hazel River corridor can remain clean, scenic, and serene far into the future.

Read more about the Hazel River, Tier III classification, and what this would mean for Rappahannock and Culpeper counties in this special issue of RLEP News. And check the schedules for public comment here.

Return to RLEP home page

Return to Current Issues