Harman Patil (Editor)

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve

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Type
  
Municipal park

Area
  
12,700 acres (51 km)

Nearest city
  
Open
  
All year

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve httpsmediacdntripadvisorcommediaphotos09

Location
  
Botetourt and Roanoke counties, Virginia

Operated by
  
Western Virginia Water AuthorityRoanoke Parks and Recreation

Carvins cove natural reserve roanoke va


Carvins Cove Natural Reserve is a 12,700-acre (51 km2) city park in Botetourt and Roanoke counties, Virginia. Managed by the Western Virginia Water Authority and the City of Roanoke, it is the fifth-largest city park in the United States, and the second-largest city park managed by a municipality.

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Roanoke Outside Foundation

In the 1930s, Carvins Creek was dammed to create the Carvins Cove Reservoir, which for many decades served as the primary water source for the City of Roanoke. A small rural community (called Carvins Cove) was displaced by the reservoir's creation, and some of its roads and housing foundations still become visible during droughts. A series of droughts in the late 1990s spurred the City of Roanoke and Roanoke County to create the Western Virginia Water Authority, which consolidated their water delivery systems.

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Roanoke VA Top Tips Before You Go

The 630-acre (2.5 km2) reservoir and the land below the 1,200-foot (370 m) contour are owned by the Authority; the land above the contour is owned by the City of Roanoke. In April 2008, Roanoke City Council placed 6,185 acres (25.03 km2) of Carvins Cove under a conservation easement donated to the Western Virginia Land Trust and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The easement protects much of the Cove from inappropriate development and is the largest ever recorded in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Western Virginia Water Authority Carvins Cove Natural Reserve

Recreational activities, such as mountain biking, hiking, and equestrian activities, are allowed around the reservoir. Boating and fishing are allowed on the reservoir itself, but there are strict limits to preserve water quality. The fear of zebra mussels motivated the city to apply the first restrictions in the early 1990s.

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Picture of Carvins Cove Natural
Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Picture of Carvins Cove Natural

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Western Virginia Water Authority Boating and Fishing

References

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve Wikipedia


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