People, Land and Water at the
Headwaters of the
Rappahannock River Basin

4 What and Where are the County’s Subwatersheds?

Following recommendations from the Center for Watershed Protectionendnotes.html[13] we divided the County into 26 subwatersheds.[14]All raindrops falling on land within a subwatershed drain to a common point. Often that point is where the main stream of the subwatershed joins a larger stream. The main purposes for dividing the overall county into smaller subwatersheds are to:

• assist landowners in understanding the watershed conditions in their own localities.
• identify areas that are the least well protected, so that priority efforts by the local landowners and conservation organizations can be given to improvement in those areas.
• look in more detail at factors that affect the health of the watersheds, within a smaller area than an entire county.

Each subwatershed is named after the major stream that flows through that area. Table 1 lists the 26 subwatersheds, their land areas, and stream miles.

Table 1: Subwatershed Names, Areas and Stream Miles

As shown on Map 12: Subwatersheds, portions of some subwatersheds lie in Fauquier, Culpeper, and Madison counties.

Next: How well protected are our watersheds?
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