<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68673</law_id><section_number>28.2-556</section_number><catch_line>Erosion control devices within the Baylor survey</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="28.2">Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Tidal Fisheries</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="5">Oysters and Clams</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="4">Surveys and Resurveys</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The public oyster beds, rocks, and <span class="dictionary">shoals</span> shall not include any area needed for an erosion control structure if the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>, after considering the comments of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and any other relevant <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>, finds that: (i) shoreline erosion has occurred at the site and is expected to continue; (ii) such erosion is increasing the sediment load to public waters, causing degradation of water quality; (iii) the proposed project is a technically and environmentally acceptable way to control erosion at the site unless such Baylor ground is productive under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Rights of riparian owners to build bulkhead or wharf" href="/28.2-630/">28.2-630</a> of the Code of Virginia in which case the environmentally preferable erosion control shall be utilized; and (iv) the Commonwealth&#x2019;s interest in protecting water quality by controlling erosion at the site outweighs the value of the portion of the natural oyster beds, rocks, and <span class="dictionary">shoals</span> affected by the erosion control structure. Whenever the area of the natural oyster beds, rocks, and <span class="dictionary">shoals</span> is so changed, the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall make the changes on its Baylor survey charts.</p></section></text><history>1988, c. 308, &#xA7; 28.1-101.4; 1989, c. 656; 1992, c. 836; 2001, c. 46.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
