A little over 100 miles south of Washington D.C., between Virginia’s Rappahannock and York Rivers, a mosaic of connected conservation areas stretch through pristine swampland that teems with flora and fauna of the sort that populated a much larger portion of Virginia’s western shore 400 years ago. Dragon Run meanders for nearly 40 miles through remote portions of four eastern Virginia counties until it flows into the Piankatank River and on to Chesapeake Bay.
Today’s visitor to the preserve can truly imagine what the area was like before European settlement. Rapid conversion of land for agriculture and development purposes has left few wilderness areas such as Dragon Run. Its tidal cypress swamp and diverse community of plants and animals make it an ecologically important watershed in the Chesapeake Bay, otherwise challenged by nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, and other pollutants.
Partners in Preservation of Sensitive Ecosystem
The National Conservancy, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and, especially, the Friends of Dragon Run (Dragonrun.org) have recognized the swampland as an ecological jewel. Together, individuals and organizations have slowly preserved most of the land along the Dragon Run from Center Cross in Essex County, Virginia to Glenns, in Gloucester County, Virginia, where the Dragon flows into the Piankatank River.
The Nature Conservancy has established a 500-acre preserve at Dragon Flats, which features a striking bald cypress swamp where bald eagles and songbirds nest, and has helped others conserve hundreds of acres. The Virginia Department of Forestry acquired the 1,800-acre Dragon Run State Forest, which filters water and provides a laboratory for forestry practices. The Friends of Dragon Run have worked tirelessly with concerned land owners to conserve the threatened gem.
In May 2009, an additional 4,188 acres were purchased by the Commonwealth of Virginia from Hancock Timber Resource Group. Michael Lipford, director of The Nature Conservancy, said, “The Dragon Run watershed is one of the few watersheds in eastern Virginia that remains primarily undeveloped, rural forest land … It is important to recognize that this project will produce benefits far from the site itself," he added. “By protecting large forest tracts in the Dragon Run watershed, we are also helping to protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Just downstream, the Conservancy is restoring native oyster reefs in the Piankatank River, and the protection of this watershed enhances those efforts.”
Flora and Fauna of the Blackwater Swamp
Bald cypress trees and aquatic plants such as arrow arum, spatterdock and pickerelweed abound in Dragon Run. The preserve hosts at least one state-rare plant, pineland tick-trefoil. Animals include the bald eagle, prothonotary warbler, and a damselfly that is rare in Virginia, the blackwater bluet.
In 1976, The Nature Conservancy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation commissioned a Smithsonian Institute study of 232 rivers and streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Dragon Run ranked second in ecological significance.
Get Involved by Visiting and Donating to the Friends of Dragon Run
Dragon Run is especially awesome to visit because it is relatively remote. Although several highways cross it, most access points are only available by trekking across the back country. The Friends of Dragon Run maintain an extensive nature trail on an island in the swamp and conduct educational trips to increase awareness about the swamp and its ecology.
Tax deductible donations to the Friends of Dragon Run are used to further conservation of other land in the Dragon corridor. They promote conservation easements and acquire endangered areas. The Friends provide the only access to the area for kayaking and hiking and accept donations to further their work.
Sara E. Lewis - Sara E. Lewis is a writer and publications consultant. As a freelancer, she writes and produces marketing materials and especially enjoys ...
