Virginia Law

(a) If any person place any dam or other obstruction in any tributary of Big Sandy River so as to prevent the free passage of timber, or any raft or boat, he shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500; and, upon conviction thereof, the court or judge of the county court shall order the dam or other obstruction to be removed at his expense.

(b) It shall also be unlawful for any person to dump, place or put, or cause to be dumped, placed, or put into, upon the banks of or into the channels of Big Sandy River or any of its tributaries, any dirt, stone, coal, slate, cinders, mine refuse, trees, timber, logs, garbage or any other material or substance so as to in anywise narrow, fill or restrict or partially narrow, fill or restrict the channels of said streams or impede the natural flow of the waters of said river or any of its tributaries or dump, place or put, or cause to be dumped, placed or put any dirt, stone, coal, slate, cinders, mine refuse, trees, timber, logs, garbage or any other material, or substance where the same does by natural rainfall or flow of water become washed or otherwise carried into, upon the banks of, or into the channels of, such river or any of its tributaries so as to in anywise narrow, fill or restrict or partially narrow, fill or restrict the channels of any of said streams or impede the natural flow of the waters thereof. Any person who violates any provision of this law shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 or by confinement in jail not more than twelve months or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that any of said materials or substances so dumped, placed or put, or caused to be dumped, placed or put into or so allowed to be washed or otherwise so carried into, upon the banks of or into the channels of, said streams shall constitute a separate offense and be punished as such.

(c) In addition to the foregoing penalties for violation of this law, the judge of the circuit court of the county wherein any such violation occurs, whether there be a criminal conviction therefor or not shall, upon a bill in equity, filed by the attorney for the Commonwealth of such county or by any person whose property is damaged or whose property is threatened with damage from any such violation, award an injunction enjoining any violation of this law by any person found by the court in such suit to have violated this law or causing the same to be violated, when made a party defendant to such suit.

(d) This section shall not be construed to restrict the construction or reconstruction of highways, or the construction or reconstruction of the right-of-way of any company subject to the Commonwealth Corporation Commission, or the maintenance thereof in either case, provided the channel thereafter continues to permit a flow of water in such stream at least as large as that prevailing theretofore, provided that if the channel above the point of such work be widened or deepened subsequently then such company may be required by the circuit court of the county on petition of any interested person to change its right-of-way where practicable so as to permit the increased flow of water.

Code 1950, § 62-190; 1960, c. 257; 1968, c. 169.