²ÝÝ®´«Ã½

Va. drought conditions continue, spur Shenandoah fishing shutdown

Despite several summer storms hitting the region, the drought in Virginia continues to be serious.

On Friday, the National Park Service closed Shenandoah National Park’s streams and rivers to fishing due to “low flows and high water temperatures,” .

Most of Northern Virginia is under a drought warning and the entire state is under a drought watch. In the D.C. area, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington and Fairfax counties were all affected by the warning.

NPS said that some stream flows in the park are “completely dry.” This has caused extremely “stressful conditions” for fish because of depleted oxygen levels.

The park was also closed to fishing because of drought conditions in 2021 and 2023. NPS says such closures are rare.

NPS will lift the fishing ban when stream conditions improve, the release said.

The that was a “primary factor in several major wildfires, including the Matts Creek Fire in the Jefferson National Forest.”

Residents can check the current drought conditions in their area on the .

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Valerie Bonk

Valerie Bonk started working at ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ in 2016 and has lived in Howard County, Maryland, her entire life. She's thrilled to be a reporter for ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ telling stories on air. She works as both a television and radio reporter in the Maryland and D.C. areas. 

Federal ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ Network Logo
Log in to your ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ account for notifications and alerts customized for you.