Planting Trees for a Healthy Rappahannock River

The Department of Forestry’s app shows landowners which programs and providers are potentially available for tree planting services or financial support for tree planting along rivers, streams, and lakes in Virginia. 

Planting trees has numerous benefits for both you and your environment. Whether planted upland or near water, trees help protect sources of drinking water, provide habitat for wildlife, create recreation opportunities and beautify a property. 

Riparian buffers are areas of vegetation planted near a body of water. 

Waterways with riparian buffers are often clearer and cooler than exposed or unvegetated banks. Buffers stabilize the streambank by preventing excess nutrients, sediments and other pollutants from entering a waterway.

Riparian buffers also provide high-quality habitat, particularly for fish and wildlife species that rely on forested habitat close to a source of water.

With healthy riparian buffers, we can ensure the water we drink throughout the Rappahannock watersheds — and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay — is clean and can be a sustainable resource for future generations.

Upland tree plantings, farther from the water’s edge, also benefit your waterway and property. 

By anchoring down loose sediment, upland trees prevent erosion and help mitigate stream flooding. Planting upland trees also helps return nutrients to the soil and provides shade and privacy over your property. Partners and the Virginia Department of Forestry can work with you to choose trees and shrubs that attract certain species of wildlife.