Virginia DEQ - Exceptional State Waters (Tier III)

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Exceptional State Waters (Tier III)

Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality

629 East Main Street
P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, VA 23218

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804.698.4000
800.592.5482 (Toll Free in VA)

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Exceptional State Waters (Tier III)

Cascade Falls on Little Stony Creek The Exceptional State Waters Program helps achieve these goals by identifying and protecting high quality waters for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations by prohibiting new or increased point source discharges to the designated waterbody. “Tier III” is how the public commonly refers to these protected waters. The equivalent regulatory terms are “Outstanding National Resource Waters” for EPA and “Exceptional State Waters” for Virginia. The designation of a waterbody as an Exceptional State Water is a regulatory amendment to the Antidegradation Policy section of Virginia's Water Quality Standards. Citizens may submit a petition to designate a waterbody or a nomination may orginate from within the agency. There are 30 Exceptional State Waters designated in Virginia. Descriptions and locations of these waters are shown below.

For additional information regarding petition submission and the designation process, please refer to agency Guidance for Exceptional State Waters.

Exceptional State Waters fact sheet

Exceptional State Waters rulemakings

Example petition: Several streams within Amherst Co.

Exceptional State Waters - Shenandoah National Park Region

(region map)

Waterbody Name	Boundary Description	Nominating Party
Big Run site visit report boundary map	Big Run in Rockingham County from its headwaters downstream to the first crossing with the Shenandoah National Park boundary and all tributaries to this segment of Big Run within the confines of Shenandoah National Park. Approximately 20 miles	DEQ
Doyles River site visit report boundary map	Doyles River in Albemarle County from its headwaters to the first crossing with the Shenandoah National Park boundary and Jones Falls Run from its headwaters to its confluence with Doyles River and all tributaries to these segments of Doyles River and Jones Fall Run within the confines of Shenandoah National Park. Approximately 6.9 miles	DEQ
East Branch Naked Creek site visit report boundary map	East Branch Naked Creek in Page County from its headwaters downstream to the first crossing with the Shenandoah National Park boundary and all tributaries to this segment of East Branch Naked Creek within the confines of Shenandoah National Park. Approximately 4.6 miles	DEQ
East Hawksbill Creek site visit report boundary map	East Hawksbill Creek in Page County from its headwaters downstream to the first crossing with the Shenandoah National Park boundary and all tributaries to this segment of East Hawksbill Creek within the confines of Shenandoah National Park. Approximately 4.0 miles	DEQ
Hazel River site visit report followup report boundary map	The Hazel River in Rappahannock County from its headwaters to the first downstream crossing with the Shenandoah National Park boundary and all tributaries within this segment within the confines of the Shenandoah National Park. Approximately 6.5 miles	Sally Mello
Jeremys Run site visit report boundary map	Jeremys Run in Page County from its headwaters downstream to the first crossing with the Shenandoah National Park boundary and all tributaries to this segment of Jeremys Run within the confines of Shenandoah National Park. Approximately 15.1 miles	DEQ
North Fork Thornton River site visit report boundary map	North Fork Thornton River in Rappahannock County from its headwaters downstream to the first crossing with the Shenandoah National Park boundary and all tributaries to this segment of the North Fork Thornton River within the confines of Shenandoah National Park. Approximately 9.1 miles	DEQ
Piney River site visit report boundary map	Piney River in Rappahannock County from its headwaters downstream to the first crossing with the Shenandoah National Park boundary and all tributaries to this segment of the Piney River within the confines of Shenandoah National Park. Approximately 7.6 miles	DEQ

Exceptional State Waters - West Central Region

(region map)

Waterbody Name	Boundary Description	Nominating Party
Blue Suck Branch site visit report boundary map	Blue Suck Branch from its headwaters downstream to the first crossing with the George Washington National Forest boundary. Approximately 4.25 miles	Cowpasture River Preservation Association
Cove Creek site visit report boundary map	Cove Creek from its headwaters downstream to the National Forest boundary. Approximately 2.4 miles	Amherst Co. Service Authority
Downy Branch site visit report boundary map	Downy Branch from its headwaters downstream to the first crossing with the George Washington National Forest boundary. Approximately 2.8 miles	Cowpasture River Preservation Association
North Branch Simpson Creek site visit report boundary map	North Branch Simpson Creek (Brushy Run) from its headwaters downstream to its confluence with Simpson Creek. Approximately 3.9 miles	Cowpasture River Preservation Association
Brown Mountain Creek site visit report boundary map	Brown Mountain Creek, located on U.S. Forest Service land in Amherst County, from the City of Lynchburg property boundary upstream to the first crossing with the national forest property boundary. Approximately 2.8 miles	DEQ
Laurel Fork site visit report boundary map	Laurel Fork, located on U.S. Forest Service land in Highland County, from the national forest property boundary below Route 642 downstream to the Virginia/West Virginia state line. Approximately 6.5 miles	DEQ
Little Cove Creek site visit report boundary map	Little Cove Creek and its tributaries from the headwaters downstream to the National Forest boundary. Approximately 1.8 miles	Amherst Co. Service Authority
North Creek images boundary map	North Creek in Botetourt County from the first bridge above the United States Forest Service North Creek Camping Area to its headwaters. Approximately 3.8 miles	Trout Unlimited, Virginia Council
North Fork of the Buffalo River site visit report boundary map	North Fork of the Buffalo River, located on U.S. Forest Service land in Amherst County, from its confluence with Rocky Branch upstream to its headwaters. Approximately 2.6 miles	DEQ
North Fork of the Buffalo River site visit report boundary map	North Fork of the Buffalo River from its confluence with Rocky Branch downstream to the National Forest Boundary. Approximately 0.40 miles	Amherst Co. Service Authority
North River site visit report boundary map	North River in Augusta County from the Staunton Reservoir dam to the first crossing with National Forest lands boundary (near Girl Scout Camp May Flather). Approximately 6 miles	DEQ
Pedlar River site visit report boundary map	Pedlar River, located on U.S. Forest Service land in Amherst County, from where the river crosses FR 39 upstream to the first crossing with the national forest property boundary. Approximately 5.2 miles	DEQ
Ramseys Draft site visit report boundary map	Ramseys Draft, located on U.S. Forest Service land in Augusta County, from its headwaters (which includes Right and Left Prong Ramseys Draft) downstream to the Wilderness Area boundary. Approximately 8.2 miles	DEQ
Roberts Creek site visit report boundary map	Roberts Creek from its confluence with the Pedlar River upstream to its first crossing with the National Forest boundary. Approximately 1.3 miles	Amherst Co. Service Authority
Rocky Branch site visit report boundary map	Rocky Branch from its headwaters downstream to its confluence with the North Fork of the Buffalo River. Approximately 1.2 miles	Amherst Co. Service Authority
Shady Mountain Creek site visit report boundary map	Shady Mountain Creek from its headwaters downstream to its confluence with the Pedlar River. Approximately 1.4 miles	Amherst Co. Service Authority

Exceptional State Waters - Southwest Region

(region map)

Waterbody Name	Boundary Description	Nominating Party
Bottom Creek site visit report boundary map	Bottom Creek in Montgomery County and Roanoke County from Route 669 (Patterson Drive) downstream to the last property boundary of the Nature Conservancy on the southern side of the creek. Approximately 2.2 miles	Friends of the Rivers of Virginia, Bent Mountain Civic League, Trout Unlimited, Roanoke Valley Chapter 308, Friends of the Roanoke River, American Rivers
Little Stony Creek (Giles County) site visit report boundary map	Little Stony Creek in Giles County from the first footbridge above the Cascades picnic area, upstream to the 3,300-foot elevation. Approximately 6.5 miles	Friends of the Rivers of Virginia, Trout Unlimited, Virginia Council, Trout Unlimited, New River Chapter 207, Friends of the New River
Little Stony Creek (Scott County) site visit report boundary map	Little Stony Creek in Scott County from Bark Camp Lake dam to its confluence with Bakers Branch. Approximately 7.2 miles	DEQ
Whitetop Laurel Creek images boundary map	Whitetop Laurel Creek, located on U.S. Forest Service land in Washington County, from the national forest boundary immediately upstream from the second railroad trestle crossing the creek above Taylors Valley upstream to the confluence of Green Cove Creek. Approximately 2.7 miles	DEQ

Exceptional State Waters - Southeast Region

(region map)

Waterbody Name	Boundary Description	Nominating Party
Lake Drummond site visit report boundary map	Lake Drummond, located on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service property, is nominated in its entirety within the cities of Chesapeake and Suffolk excluding any ditches and/or tributaries. Approximately 5.1 square miles	DEQ
Ragged Island Creek site visit report boundary map	Ragged Island Creek in Isle of Wight County from its confluence with the James River at a line drawn across the creek mouth at N36 56.306'/W76 29.136' to N36 55.469'/W76 29.802' upstream to a line drawn across the main stem of the creek at N36 57.094'/W76 30.473' to N36 57.113'/W76 30.434', excluding wetlands and impounded areas and including only those tributaries completely contained within the Ragged Island Creek Wildlife Management Area on the northeastern side of the creek. Approximately 1 square mile	Isle of Wight Citizens Association