From congress to city council, leaders at every level of government grapple with the same age-old question: How do we balance economic growth with environmental sustainability while meeting the needs of our communities? Economic and environmental initiatives are often pitted against one another, but with thoughtful planning and intentionality, they can go hand in hand. Local leaders in Virginia set out to investigate some successful solutions to these challenges earlier this year.

 

Wandering Virginia’s Waterways

Over the course of two cool spring days, 19 local government leaders representing 12 municipalities joined the Wandering Virginia’s Waterways tour to explore enterprising examples of clean and green growth across Virginia’s Tri-Cities and Hampton Roads regions. Green growth is generally characterized by efficient resource use, pollution mitigation, and sustainable development. Following these principles, the innovative projects featured on this tour help better both their communities and their surrounding environment through stormwater management, clean energy, and drinking water infrastructure.

a group of people walking down a riverside path

Heather Barrar from the Friends of the Lower Appomattox leads attendees on a tour of the Hopewell Riverwalk to show how the trail creates new access to the river for Hopewell residents.

Throughout the tour, local leaders explored several community projects that blend land conservation, public access, stormwater management, and economic growth to simultaneously enrich quality of life, and advance clean water priorities. The tour kicked off in the City of Hopewell, Virginia with a visit to the Hopewell Riverwalk. Trailing along the shoreline of the Appomattox River, the tranquil boardwalk of the Hopewell Riverwalk gives residents an avenue to unplug from city life and immerse themselves in nature. Once a reminder of Hopewell’s difficult industrial past and the pollution left in its wake, the riverwalk has transformed the riverfront into both a serene refuge, and a venue for fishing, boating, and community programming.

living shorelines

Signage at Windsor Castle Park educates visitors on the park’s living shoreline installation and how it benefits local lands and waterways

Local officials had the opportunity to tour stormwater management practices at Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield, Virginia. Nestled along the banks of the Pagan River and Cypress Creek, the park’s living shoreline, floodplain meadow, and example stormwater retention system manage erosion and stormwater runoff while providing scenic walking trails, recreation spaces, and irrigation water for a community garden.

To round out the stormwater management projects, local government officials visited Hampton Roads, Virginia to learn how developed areas can be retrofitted to better serve communities. Since much of the Hampton Roads region is paved for parking, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) has been advancing best practices for resilient parking design to address flooding, control pollution, and improve community aesthetics. From 2024 to early 2025, HRPDC retrofitted its regional building visitor lot with permeable concrete panels, bioretention basins, EV charging stations, and native landscaping. The project demonstrates how parking areas can serve as stormwater management tools, benefitting visitors and protecting local waterways.

a group of people listen to a speaker while wearing hi-visibility vests and hardhats

Local leaders discuss land use and clean energy issues with Dominion Energy staff at the Fort Powhatan Solar Array.

In addition to managing stormwater runoff and flooding, it is imperative that municipalities have the energy infrastructure necessary to support constituents’ everyday lives. At the Fort Powhatan Solar Array in Prince George, VA, local government officials joined Dominion Energy experts to learn more about the role of utility scale solar operations in Virginia’s energy landscape. Among a sea of shimmering solar panels stretching as far as the eye can see, site engineers shared some of the challenges and benefits of utility scale solar, including its impact on grid reliability, land use, economic development, and environmental considerations. When siting solar arrays, it can often be difficult to find sizable properties that can accommodate large-scale projects without interfering with local land needs.

At Fort Powhatan, Dominion Energy took a unique approach to this issue. Rather than use viable farmland, Dominion purchased a large stretch of land adjacent to historic Fort Powhatan, which was established in the 1808 time frame and used as a supply depot during the War of 1812 and the Civil War. After conducting archaeological assessments, Dominion Energy donated all areas of historical significance to a local historical preservation society, and then converted the remaining unused land into a utility-scale solar facility.

a group of people listen to a speaker in a lobby

Local government officials hear from leadership at the SWIFT Research Center about how the facility is replenishing drinking water supplies and recharging the Potomac Aquifer.

As demand for energy infrastructure expands, so does demand for water resources. On the second day of the tour, local officials had the opportunity to tour the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) Research Center to hear how this innovative water treatment facility works to meet local water needs, address environmental pressures, and enhance sustainability of the region’s long-term groundwater supply. Not only does the SWIFT initiative use multi-step advanced water treatment processes to transform treated wastewater into clean drinking water ready for distribution, the SWIFT Center treats it to match the existing groundwater chemistry of the region and pumps it back into the Potomac Aquifer. With the Potomac Aquifer struggling to recharge naturally, the SWIFT Center method for replenishing groundwater stores had helped protect water stores from saltwater intrusion, reduced the rate at which land is sinking in eastern Virginia, and rebuilt groundwater levels for future generations.

Each stop highlighted key aspects of green growth. Local officials must make decisions every day that balance the economic and sustainability goals of their communities. These projects demonstrated that with thoughtful planning, local governments can achieve win-win solutions that advance both goals.

 

Where is Wandering Waterways Going Next?

Since its pilot in 2019, the Wandering Waterways series has gathered local officials in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, New York, the Delmarva peninsula, and the District of Columbia to learn about topics including green infrastructure, innovative agricultural practices, clean water initiatives, and solutions to localized flooding.

This November, the Wandering Waterways series will head to Prince George’s County, Maryland to discover innovative strategies, funding models, and success stories that show how effective stormwater management solutions can protect, prepare, and pay off for communities. Stay tuned for more Wandering Waterways stories!

Are you interested in collaborating on a future Wandering Waterways tour? Complete this interest form!