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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65772</law_id><section_number>29.1-101.9</section_number><catch_line>Requirement for fishways</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="29.1">Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Administration of Wildlife Resources</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1.1">Virginia Fish Passage Grant and Revolving Loan Fund</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Notwithstanding any provision of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Dams and fishways" href="/29.1-532/">29.1-532</a>, including the existence or lack thereof of an exemption pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Dams and fishways" href="/29.1-532/">29.1-532</a>, the owner of every dam or other artificial impediment to the migration of anadromous fish in any tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, including that portion of the James River downstream from the City of Lynchburg, shall be responsible to provide appropriate fishways for anadromous fish as soon as reasonably possible after being offered financing from the Fund for the estimated construction cost of the fishways as provided in this article. Any owner of such a dam or other artificial impediment who fails to provide or to maintain fishways providing substantially free passage for anadromous fish may be compelled to provide such fishways by <span class="dictionary">injunction</span> in an action initiated by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> in an appropriate <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. Nothing in this section shall relieve the owner of any dam or other <span class="dictionary">object</span> in a watercourse, which obstructs navigation or the passage of anadromous and other migratory fish, of any obligations or responsibilities under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Dams and fishways" href="/29.1-532/">29.1-532</a>.</p></section></text><history>1989, c. 5, &#xA7; 10.1-1221; 1992, cc. 464, 887.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
