Project Design

The Blackwater River is really a unique ecosystem and a very important habitat for the Hampton Roads area.  Many do not know about the significance of these swampy waters.  The best projects and programs that help support this conservation effort are those that involve multiple agencies and the public. Individuals and environment friendly corporations donate money and land to the Nature Conservancy of Virginia and Conservation Forestry, LLC to manage and protect.

The following is an excerpt from the Blackwater and Nottoway Riverkeeper Program.  Anyone can become a member and attend meetings.  The public is invited to take part in all conservation efforts. They are strong advocates for citizens reporting pollution.  They encourage swift reporting and meticulous documentation of all pollutants that may harm people or the environment.

YMCA Leaders Club during Clean Rivers Month 2016

Activities such as this that utilize public volunteers creates a wonderful partnership in which everyone is a stakeholder in the preservation efforts. This is a great aspect of this project.

Members are also encourage and given a platform to regularly journal and provide the state - of-the-river reports in the River Keeper Report.  When members travel the river they report via a blog journal entry the water and air temperature, movement of the river, and any wildlife they see as well as report any pollution or problems they find along the river.

FRANKLIN, VA — March 19, 2009 — The Nature Conservancy of Virginia and Conservation Forestry, LLC announced today the protection of 416 forested acres along the Blackwater River in Southampton County. ..The deal reached between The Nature Conservancy and Conservation Forestry, LLC places 416 acres into a conservation easement, securing protection of 287 acres of mature hardwood forest along 3.3 miles of river frontage. The easement also includes 129 acres of upland pine forest that will be permanently managed as “working forestland.”
The Blackwater River is a tributary to the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound, the second largest estuary in the United States that supports a $1 billion ecotourism and fishing industry. “Swamp forests along the river serve as important nursery areas for migratory fish species such as herring. Young herring raised in the Blackwater move on to the Atlantic ocean to become a vital part of marine foodwebs,” said Brian Van Eerden, Southern Rivers Program Director for The Nature Conservancy of Virginia.
The easement is located on land formerly owned by International Paper. Conservation Forestry LLC acquired the tract along with other ecologically significant lands from International Paper in 2006 and is working on conservation deals with groups such as The Nature Conservancy.... Half of the funding for the $416,000 project comes from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which was created 20 years ago by Congress. This funding was acquired by Ducks Unlimited, and passed to The Nature Conservancy for this easement.“Partnerships between NGOs and state and federal agencies drive the conservation engine,” noted Craig LeSchack of Ducks Unlimited. “Ducks Unlimited was proud to partner with The Nature Conservancy to protect this valuable tract as part of the Roanoke River Migratory Bird Initiative NAWCA grant.”The other half of the project money comes from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, which is administered by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). DCR has dedicated the easement as part of its Natural Area Preserve system. (Blackwater Nottoway Riverkeeper Program)

The Nature Conservancy of Virginia also has a volunteer based project that serves not only the Blackwater River but several conservation parks across the state.  It is called the Volunteer Preserve Visitation Committee. Anyone can become a member and work with this project.  Participants work at one of the "public access preserves to conduct routine surveys of the preserve and note visitor activities. Committee members will also help to remove debris, fallen branches or overgrown vegetation from trails as needed with hand tools." 

Basic Qualifications to become a committee member is as follows:

 - Demonstrated interest in the management of nature preserves and commitment to the mission of The Nature Conservancy. - Basic physical fitness to hike moderately challenging outdoor terrain and physical ability to operate hand tools such as loppers and hand saws safely. - Good human interaction and interpersonal communication skills to work and communicate with a diverse group of people, including volunteers, local residents, trespassers if necessary and Conservancy staff. - Self transportation to and from site. - Willingness to participate in training sessions and attend committee gatherings (potlucks, etc.)  

 The Nature Conservancy is doing incredible work to help educate adults and children. They report their findings and research to increase partnerships and celebrate the history and importance of the river.  One aspect of this unique conservatory is that it can only be reached by small boating vessels like canoes and jon boats.

Researchers have used the cypress trees at the preserve to investigate the demise of the original Jamestown colony, which they predate. The trees reveal climate variations over their lifetimes and  indicate that a prolonged drought may have affected the colony's survival. The study has been featured on PBS.

 The Southern Rivers, the landscape area that includes Blackwater River Preserve, remains a high priority for conservation action. In 2006, the Conservancy worked with International Paper and private investors to conserve more than 15,000 acres along the Blackwater, Meherrin and Nottoway rivers. ("Virginia")

"Blackwater Nottoway Riverkeeper Program | Three Miles of Blackwater River Frontage Protected." Blackwater Nottoway Riverkeeper Program RSS2. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

"The Nature Conservancy." Preserve Monitoring Program | The Nature Conservancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

"Virginia." Blackwater River Preserve in Virginia | The Nature Conservancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.