Overview:
The Hicks Farm Nutrient Bank is a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approved nutrient credit project located in Russell County, Virginia, within the Upper Clinch River–Thompson Creek Watershed. Approved in June 2022, the bank converts historically grazed dairy farmland into permanently protected forested conditions that deliver measurable water quality improvements within the Clinch River system.
The 76.90-acre project focuses on long-term land conversion and sustainable forest management to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff at its source. Approximately 68 acres of former pasture and hay land, along with previously impervious areas, have been converted to forested conditions through the planting of native hardwood species. Plantings were installed at a minimum density of 400 stems per acre and are supported by maintained 35-foot fallow buffers along perennial streams, ensuring enhanced nutrient uptake, soil stabilization, and improved riparian function.
Through these restoration and management efforts, Hicks Farm Nutrient Bank generated 36.98 pounds of phosphorus credits, 285.81 pounds of nitrogen credits, and 2,654 pounds of sediment credits. These credits are approved for use as compensation for nutrient and sediment load reductions under federal, state, and local regulatory programs.
The bank is authorized to provide credits within the Powell River (HUC 06010206) and Upper Clinch (HUC 06010205) watersheds. Its service area includes all of Lee County and portions of Russell, Tazewell, Scott, and Wise Counties, providing a regulator-approved, watershed-based credit option that supports both permit compliance and long-term improvement of the Clinch River ecosystem.
