If you plan to purchase river front property along the James River or Staunton River in Campbell County here are a few things to consider:

Staunton River

• Although you should have enough water available for your use, you may find that you have to share your river with motorboats, water skiers, and swimmers, although swimming may be unpleasant because of the film of gas and oil left on the water’s surface by motorboats.
• Look upstream to see if there are factories, lumber mills or other polluters that make the river unpleasant to swim in and dangerous to drink.
• If you are interested in fishing ask the local bait shop about fishing potential of the river.
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency streams in logged areas contain up to 7,000 times more sediment after logging.  How much logging has occurred upstream?  Logging can kill mature fish, smother spawning beds, destroy stream vegetation and clog smaller streams and creeks.
• Check and make sure there are no plans to build dams on the river that will flood your land.  Get a copy of the master water plan for your area from Virginia  State Water Resources Department.  This is particularly important if you are buying along a major river such as the James River to the Staunton River.  When dams are built, many homesteads along the river are condemned by the government and become the bottom of a new lake.

Living on the river or near the river can be a beautiful way of life just do your home work so you can know what to expect.