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Where We Work

Our Treasured Watershed

There is still a place where the water runs clean in creeks, streams, and free-flowing rivers… where the air keeps us breathing in deep… where rare and threatened species are still healthy and thriving.

There is still a place where dark skies command the night… where miles and miles of productive farmland run up to the base of fully forested mountains.

There is still a place where being part of a rural community is cherished.

This place is the Cacapon and Lost Rivers watershed, one of the most pristine, ecologically valuable, and biodiverse tributaries of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. 

Since 1990, the Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust has been the only local land trust dedicated to protecting the farms, forests, streams, wildlife, and rural heritage of this watershed of 680 square miles – ten times the size of the District of Columbia.

The Cacapon and Lost Rivers Watershed is:

  • More than 80% forested
  • Nationally recognized as one of the most ecologically beneficial tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay
  • Hailed for its high climate resiliency
  • A vital wildlife migratory corridor that will increase in importance as climate change impacts escalate
  • Home to more than 50 rare and endangered species
  • A productive farming & forestry region
  • A recreational destination for hikers, birders, fishermen, hunters, and dark sky enthusiasts
  • A source of clean water for millions of residents in West Virginia, Northern Virginia, and the Washington DC metro area.

Click here for a map of the watershed.

An Ecologically & Socially Rich Place

Spanning Hampshire, Hardy, and Morgan counties, this heavily forested watershed is one of the most ecologically diverse in the eastern United States. It is highly rated for climate resiliency and an important wildlife migration corridor. We strive to protect the richest ecological and economically beneficial areas of our watershed by linking hubs and corridors of protected public and private land.

Healing Waters: 

  • The word “Cacapon” is believed to translate from its original Native American language to medicine or healing waters. 
  • The Cacapon and Lost Rivers are the same river! The aptly named Lost River, which originates in southern Hardy County, suddenly disappears into a one-mile underground course between the towns of Baker and Wardensville, WV. When the Lost River resurfaces, it is called the Cacapon River. 
  • In total, the Cacapon River travels 125 miles to meet the Potomac River at Great Cacapon, WV. The North River joins along the way. 
  • Together, these rivers drain the 680 square miles of our watershed – an important headwaters to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

Forests: 

  • Forests make up more than 80% of the watershed, part of the great “lungs” of the East, providing oxygen, regulating the water cycle, sequestering greenhouse gases, and moderating climate. 
  • The relatively unbroken forestland of the watershed is critical for wildlife and plants. 
  • Our forests support our communities and visitors through a thriving timber industry, game hunting, recreational opportunities, and scenic vistas. 
  • Forests are good for our streams, filtering water, providing nutrients, and regulating water quantity and temperature. For example, shady streams help brook trout, Appalachia’s only native trout, survive in some of the watershed’s smaller streams. 

Resiliency & Biodiversity: 

  • Our forests, ridge and valley geography, unique geology, and other factors contribute to high biodiversity, intact ecosystems, and high resiliency against climate change and other threats. 
  • The Cacapon Watershed supports native brook trout populations and is home to more than 45 species of plants and animals classified as rare, threatened, or endangered.
  • The Cacapon River is one of the most biologically diverse tributaries of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. 

Threats:

  • The Cacapon and Lost Rivers Watershed is threatened mainly by unplanned residential development, spurred by rising population growth and rising land values in adjoining counties. The COVID-19 pandemic and work-from-home opportunities amplified this trend. 
  • Corridor H, other proposed highway and industrial facilities, and unsustainably sited renewable energy projects constitute additional threats. 
  • Invasive plants and effects of climate change, such as prolonged droughts and more intense storms, are also affecting the watershed. 

Fortunately, protecting the land itself is something we can do. Our watershed is uniquely resilient and benefits from our efforts to keep ecosystems intact by protecting large forested tracts with vital conservation values.

 

Conserve Your Land