The Rappahannock, which runs from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, is the longest undammed river in the eastern United States, but a non-profit called American Rivers says it’s endangered. Brent Hunsinger, with Friends of the Rappahannock, says there’s big demand for its water due to unchecked development.
“Drinking water for residents, for boaters, for agriculture and farming.”
Data centers, which need water to cool, are also counting on the river, and people who live east of I-95 have been ordered to stop relying on wells as the level of groundwater drops.
“Groundwater levels from the Potomac aquifer are being decreased at a fairly rapid rate.”
Friends of the Rappahannock want Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality to do a comprehensive study of demand and likely supply, taking climate change into account and considering the needs of wildlife as well as people.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
