Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and Local Ordinances
The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, adopted by the Virginia General Assembly in 1989, focuses on local land use planning and land management to affect a positive impact on water quality. The first sentence sets the tone for the rest of the statute:
Healthy state and local economies and a healthy Chesapeake Bay are integrally related; balanced economic development and water quality protection are not mutually exclusive.
The Act is mandatory for all Tidewater Virginia localities, and some other Virginia localities have opted in. Local implementation differs, and we've provided links to many local ordinances below.
Virginia's law and regulations
Virginia's local ordinances
Select a region to access local government CBPA resource links.
Note that our list is not comprehensive; our database updates are ongoing. (Piedmont and Tidewater lists will be back in action soon.)
- Alexandria (City of)
- Arlington Co.
- Clifton (Town of)
- Dumfries (Town of)
- Fairfax Co.
- Fairfax (City of)
- Falls Church (City of)
- Fredericksburg (City of)
- Herndon (Town of)
- King George Co.
- Prince William Co.
- Spotsylvania Co.
- Stafford Co.
- Vienna (Town of)
- Albemarle Co.
- Charlottesville (City of)
- Caroline Co.
- Charles City Co.
- Chesterfield Co.
- Colonial Heights (City of)
- Essex Co.
- Gloucester Co.
- Hanover Co.
- Henrico Co.
- Hopewell (City of)
- King and Queen Co.
- King William Co.
- Lancaster Co.
- Mathews Co.
- Middlesex Co.
- New Kent Co.
- Northumberland Co.
- Petersburg (City of)
- Prince George Co.
- Richmond (City of)
- Richmond Co.
- Surry Co.
- Westmoreland Co.
- Accomack Co.
- Chesapeake (City of)
- Hampton (City of)
- Isle of Wight Co.
- James City Co.
- Newport News (City of)
- Norfolk (City of)
- Northampton Co.
- Poquoson (City of)
- Portsmouth (City of)
- Suffolk (City of)
- Virginia Beach (City of)
- Williamsburg (City of)
- York Co.
Local governments with Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act ordinances (click to enlarge)