Life on Virginia’s Rivers

Such a life that beckons to a particular type. Whether as a home owner, or as a real estate investor, the riverside properties call out to a selective breed. Of equal parts discriminating buyer and organic inhabitant, they most assuredly are about something larger than themselves.

Those that would appreciate the rivers that wind through Virginia, the Rivanna, the James and the Shenandoah, to name the largest, are enthralled by the homes that are built in a setting that enjoys the river’s enchanting embrace.

The nature lover will find their senses forever satisfied:

• Observe the Blue Ridge Mountains. The range provides a magnificent backdrop for the rivers. The mountains offer a stunning view that calms the soul.
• Listen to the river. Water cascades down their natural passages, a song of varying intensity as the runoffs modulate with the seasons. From the calm lapping of water on the shore to the urgent rush brought on by the rain, the rivers provide a rhythm that captures your own.
• Inhale the aromas. From the fertile soil deposited on the river’s plains, to the ever changing blooms of Spring, Summer and Fall, the air delivers a bouquet of fragrances that invite a walk out of doors.
• Touch the water and the grasses. The river’s plain creates a sense of marvel as you drink in the abundance which the water nourishes and carries in its very being.
• Imagine that smallmouth bass or catfish. And hope it may find its way to your campfire or kitchen. The rivers are repositories for the very delicacies the naturalist enjoys.

The environmentalist may choose a riverfront property to live a life true to the values that define his or her being:

• Preserve a treasure. When a piece of property comes on the market,that has been the benefactor of a long line of caring owners, who have cultivated the natural treasures inherent in the tract, it is an opportunity for a new owner, who can appreciate what nature, and the previous owners have provided.
• Place the property in a conservancy. Of the gifts that can be bequeathed, perhaps the greatest, is the donation of the property to a group dedicated to preserving the natural beauty and diversity of wildlife, not to mention the dwelling itself. Usually, the property is donated to the conservancy.In exchange for the usual favorable tax implications, the donors will find that they can reside there for the rest of their lives, usually with maintenance costs paid for by the conservancy. The largest of these is the Nature Conservancy, which at this point protects millions of acres of natural wildlife across the U.S.

A home along the river is an opportunity to enjoy the best of the environment as well as satisfying many other basic human endeavors. The author Norman Maclean expressed this love affair, “Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”