However, if the land is privately owned, then the owner can receive planning and technical assistance from the Commonwealth through the Shore Erosion Control Act. SEAS can also provide a potential property owner with historical and recent erosion rates of the property. Potential property owners can also contact their local county planning office to get any pertinent information regarding the land. The Commonwealth of Virginia issued a list of beach land use priorities. The number one priority of the Commonwealth is shoreline preservation.
Preservation is followed by conservation, the systematic protection of natural resources.
As the amount of people living along the coastline increases, the erosion hazard of that area also increases. There is not one single erosion control method that will perform well in every shoreline environment, so therefore each area must be assessed individually. The shores of the Rappahannock River ranges from a variety of different types of shorelines. Stingray Point, the most southeastern portion of the Rappahannock River shoreline, is classified as a beach with developed waterfront property. The southern coast, at the mouth of the Rappahannock River in Middlesex, Va., has historically experienced erosion.