The Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...

 located along the Rappahannock River

Rappahannock River

The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...

 near Warsaw, Virginia

Warsaw, Virginia

Warsaw is the county seat of Richmond County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,375 at the 2000 census.-History:The original name of the town was Richmond Courthouse. In 1830 the town's named changed to Warsaw...

; one of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex

The Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a complex of four National Wildlife Refuges in Virginia whose management is overseen by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service...

, it was established under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...

 in 1996. , the Refuge consisted of 7711 acres (31.2 km²) of property total. It consists of numerous non-contiguous units along the Rappahannock River in King George, Caroline, Essex, Westmoreland, and Richmond counties. The majority and largest of the units are in Richmond County

Richmond County, Virginia

Richmond County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 9,254. Its county seat is Warsaw. The rural county should not be confused with the large city and state capital Richmond, Virginia, which is over...

.