What is the interplay between water law and environmental law?

Water law and environmental law have strong interplay in the state of Virginia. Water law is a branch of law that regulates the use, control and ownership of water in a particular jurisdiction. Environmental law is the set of regulations governing the use of natural resources in a particular jurisdiction. In Virginia, the interplay between water law and environmental law is regulated by the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act of 1988. This law sets out the requirements for local governments to protect the Chesapeake Bay by preventing or minimizing pollution and other degradation of water quality in the bay and its tributaries. The law requires localities to set up a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA) consisting of land and water within certain buffers of the bay and its tributary rivers and streams. The CBPA is an area in which certain development activities are prohibited or limited in order to protect the water quality of the region. At the local level, environmental law and water law also have strong interplay. In Virginia, localities have the ability to set up Watershed Protection Plan programs, which set regulations on land use to protect and promote the health of the local water resources. Such plans often include regulations on activities such as agricultural and timbering practices, stormwater management, and land use management. Overall, water law and environmental law are intertwined in Virginia, with the state and local governments both setting regulations to protect water resources in the state. Both forms of law have strong interplay in Virginia, impacting the management and protection of natural water resources.

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