The Channels Natural Area Preserve is a
Natural Area Preserve located in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
and
Russell
Russell may refer to:
People
* Russell (given name)
* Russell (surname)
* Lady Russell (disambiguation)
* Lord Russell (disambiguation)
Places Australia
*Russell, Australian Capital Territory
*Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation)
**Ru ...
counties,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. It was established in April 2008 to protect a number of significant natural communities and habitats, including high-elevation forests, rock outcrops, and cliffs. Its name comes from a cluster of eroded
crevice
A crevice is a fracture or fissure in rock.
Crevice may also refer to:
* Crevice corrosion, occurs in spaces to which the access of corrosion-resistant fluid is limited
* Crevice kelpfish (''Gibbonsia montereyensis''), a species of subtropical c ...
s and
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
boulders located on a portion of the land.
The preserve is part of the
Channels State Forest
Channels State Forest is a state forest located in Washington and Russell counties, Virginia. The Channels Natural Area Preserve is located within the forest, which protects the Great Channels of Virginia, comprising slot canyons formed within 4 ...
, managed by the
Virginia Department of Forestry
The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) was established in 1914 to prevent and suppress forest fires and reforest bare lands. Since its inception, the agency has grown and evolved to encompass other protection and management duties:
*Protecting ...
.
[ The state forest and preserve are both open to the public, though an access permit is required for some activities on state forest lands.]
Images and video
File:The Channels Natural Area Preserve, Hayters Gap VA.webm, Drone footage of The Channels Natural Area
File:GreatChannels Virginia DarktoLightView.jpg, View within the Great Channels
File:GreatChannels Virginia VerticalPanorama WithPerson.jpg, View within the Great Channels
See also
* List of Virginia Natural Area Preserves
The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System is a system of protected areas in the state of Virginia. It is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
, there are sixty-six (66) dedicated preserves in Virginia, containing exa ...
References
External links
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation: The Channels Natural Area Preserve
Virginia Natural Area Preserves
Protected areas established in 2008
Protected areas of Washington County, Virginia
Protected areas of Russell County, Virginia
Articles containing video clips
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