The Rapidan River, here glassy and serene at the dam by the Rapidan mill, holds the fate of Orange County in its waters. The river supplies approximately half the county with water, typically at the most populated centers, including the towns of Orange and Gordonsville and the Route 3 corridor.
So the Rapidan River flows, so goes Orange County. The oral history of the river ranges from streams so meager and shallow, one could walk across without dampening a pair of boots, to floods so frequent and massive, buildings needed moving and walls are still stained with mudlines. In between the floods and the droughts exists the Rapidan River most of the time, flowing not exactly swiftly or deep, but steady. Orange County is tied to the river, to the ebb and flow of rainfall, to the varying capacity of a not very large body of water. To say the county’s future is dependant on the health of the river, to it continuing to march down the Blue Ridge, snake through Madison and Greene counties and hug up to Orange and Culpeper counties before finally disappearing into the Rappahannock, is something of an understatement.
The Rapidan River, here glassy and serene at the dam by the Rapidan mill, holds the fate of Orange County in its waters. The river supplies approximately half the county with water, typically at the most populated centers, including the towns of Orange and Gordonsville and the Route 3 corridor.
