Elizabeth River

The Elizabeth River is a 250 square mile watershed which includes the Cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach in Southeastern Virginia.  The only natural freshwater source to the river is from the Great Dismal Swamp which has a significant Black Bear population.  The river is the home of the largest Naval Base and coal export facility in the United States.  This urban river was once thought to be dead but Elizabeth River Project (elizabethriverproject.org) and the community has been working diligently to bring back this great historical river.  The river now has some of the greatest numbers of restored oyster reefs and wetlands in the lower Chesapeake Bay.  These restoration efforts have resulted in drastic improvement in habitat and water quality over the last 20 years and offers great fishing and boating.  We hope you will explore this great river and see all the amazing wildlife and habitats it offers.