Department of Conservation and Recreation
State ParksVirginia's Major Watersheds
Watershed size, tributaries | Planning guide | Virginia watershed websites | Watershed Management Planning
Watershed size, tributaries
| Name | Area (sq. miles) | Major Tributaries |
|---|---|---|
| Potomac - Shenandoah | 5,702 | Potomac River, S. Fork Shenandoah, N. Fork Shendandoah |
| Chesapeake Bay Coastal | 2,577 | Chesapeake Bay, Piankatank |
| Atlantic Ocean Coastal | 580 | Chincoteague Bay, Hog Island Bay |
| Rappahannock | 2,714 | Rappahannock River, Rapidan River, Hazel River |
| York | 2,669 | York River, Pamunkey River, Mattaponi River |
| James | 10,236 | James River, Appomattox River, Maury River, Jackson River, Rivanna River |
| Chowan | 3,675 | Nottaway River, Meherrin River, Blackwater River |
| Albemarle Sound Coastal | 577 | Dismal Swamp, North Landing River, Back Bay |
| Roanoke | 6,274 | Roanoke River, Dan River, Banister River, Kerr Reservoir |
| Yadkin | 118 | Ararat River |
| New | 3,068 | New River, Little River, Walker Creek |
| Holston (Upper Tennesee) | 1,322 | N. Fork Holston River, Middle Fork Holston River, S. Fork Holston River |
| Clinch - Powell | 1,811 | Clinch River, Powell River, Guest River |
| Big Sandy | 999 | Levisa Fork, Russel Fork, Tug Fork |
Here's a list of DCR soil and water conservation contacts sorted by locality.
Watershed planning guide
Local Watershed Management Planning In Virginia - Local and regional governments and community groups devote many resources to planning and development. This document examines those resources and helps those involved "pull it all together" from a whole watershed perspective. Click here to download.
Click here to download the free Adobe Acrobat reader, which is required to view or print the guide.
Virginia watershed websites
Chesapeake Bay watershed profiles - About 60 percent of the commonwealth drains to the 
Chesapeake Bay, the world's most productive estuary. Those watersheds include the Potomac (including Shenandoah), Rappahannock, York and James rivers as well as coastal lands on the bay's shoreline. You can learn more about these watersheds by visiting the Chesapeake Bay Program's website that provides detailed profiles on each. Click here to visit the site.
Click here to learn about the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program (managed by North Carolina; Virginia's Chowan River and land around the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake area drain into the region).
Click here to visit the Blackwater Nottoway Riverkeeper Program's website.
Click here to visit the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) river system index. Southwestern Virginia's Holston, Clinch and Powell rivers' watersheds drain to the Tennessee River.
Rivers and Watersheds - The Geology of Virginia (College of William and Mary)
Virginia Watershed Land Use (Virginia Tech, 4H)
Forests of the Eastern United States (Virginia Tech, 4H)