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Clear pixel gifSouth Fork Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River Watershed encompasses over 1.5 million acres. This area occupies Fredrick, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and parts of Augusta, Page and Warren Counties. The George Washington-Jefferson National Forest, a PWP partner manages about 358,000 acres or 23% of the watershed.

Virginia’s flora and fauna are among the most diverse to be found anywhere in the temperate latitudes. Within the Shenandoah Valley, there are over a hundred threatened, endangered, or sensitive plants and animals designated by the state and/or federal listing. These include the federally endangered Indiana bat, Virginia big-eared bat, and peregrine falcon. Restoration of upland forests, riparian areas and wetlands will improve overall habitat conditions and help protect these species.

The Shenandoah River has one of the lowest percentages of intact riparian forests and the greatest potential for restoration in the state of Virginia. The primary water quality problems are nutrient and sediment contamination from agricultural uses, stream erosion, and floodplain encroachment. There have been a significant number of insect and disease outbreaks, wildfires, mountain harvesting activities, and growing use conflicts at the urban/wildland interface - including recreational growth through greenways and dispersed recreation (hunting, hiking ORV/ATV use). Recreation use associated with the Shenandoah River is increasing annually, with current use estimated at 250,000 recreation visitor days a year.

Shenandoah River map
Interactive Journey Shenandoah River Shenandoah River map
vertical line Shenandoah River map Shenandoah River map
Shenandoah River map Little Stony Creek Shenandoah River map
Shenandoah Overlook Shenandoah River map
Woodstock Tower
Shenandoah River map Bentonville Crossing Shenandoah Overlook
Shenandoah River map
Shenandoah River map Shenandoah River map
Shenandoah River map
Smith Creek
Shenandoah River map

Historically, row cropping and cattle grazing, and more recently, chicken and hog farming have occurred on riparian and upland areas. Severe flood events over the last decade have increased attention on the river corridors. Recently completed re-vegetation work has the promise of returning some areas to a native condition and concerted efforts to conserve riparian areas through conservation easements and repair riparian areas along agricultural corridors are showing significant restoration successes.

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