- Details
- By Chez Oxendine
- Food | Agriculture
The Rappahannock Tribe has acquired a 72-acre oyster lease on its namesake river, advancing a long-term effort to restore native oyster populations, improve water quality and reconnect its citizens with ancestral waters.
The lease, valued at about $70,000, was donated by Lancaster, Va.-based aquaculture company Rogue Oysters as part of the tribe’s Return to the River initiative. Friends of the Rappahannock facilitated the partnership, introducing tribal leaders to the Rogue Oysters team and helping coordinate the transfer.
Jack Ryan, the tribe's environmental and natural resources director, said oyster leases typically require years to obtain and significant upfront investment. The donation allowed the tribe to bypass major financial barriers.
“By donating this lease to the tribe, we were able to circumvent major economic hurdles as a disadvantaged community,” Ryan said.
The tribe lost access to suitable oyster-growing waters with proper salinity levels after being displaced from the Rappahannock River, according to Ryan.
The tribe will maintain full control of the lease while continuing to work with Friends of the Rappahannock and Rogue Oysters on restoration. Initial work included placing recycled oyster shells seeded with 1.5-inch diploid oysters on the river bottom. Plans for 2026-2027 include spat-on-shell production, in which juvenile oysters are attached to clean shells before placement in the water.
Adult oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, improving clarity and reducing excess nutrients. Oyster reefs also provide habitat for finfish and crabs, supporting broader ecosystem health.
“This is primarily a conservation effort, but there will be some opportunities for economic development as well,” Ryan said.
Rogue Oysters Co-founder Taryn Brice Rowland said the donation reflects a commitment to Indigenous leadership in conservation.
Rappahannock Chief Anne Richardson said the project also supports food sovereignty. “Reclaiming traditional food systems is an important step toward rebuilding tribal sovereignty and Indigenous health,” Richardson said.
