From 2020 to 2024, the Virginia Water Resources Research Center proudly hosted the Virginia Waters Photo Contest, spotlighting the beauty and diversity of water across the Commonwealth. Each year, we invited students from Virginia’s colleges and universities to share their unique perspectives on Virginia’s rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coastlines.
Browse our gallery of submissions and discover how students have captured the essence of Virginia’s aquatic landscapes. Scroll down to see some of the top entries from past contests! Whether it’s a quiet stream tucked into the mountains or the vibrant energy of the Chesapeake Bay, their photos help tell the story of Virginia’s waters.
A pickerel frog peeks out of a stream at Pandapas Pond near Blacksburg, Virginia.Morgan Stanley (Virginia Tech)This Green Heron is perched at a small pool that sits off of the Virginia Tech Duck Pond. Richard Toledo (Virginia Tech)Cypress trees on Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp at sunrise. Gavriel Cambridge (Virginia Tech)Whitetop Laurel Creek. Katherine Wardinski (Virginia Tech)The photo was taken during a beautiful fall evening in Richmond, VA on the Kanawha Canal.Andrew Lucas (Virginia Tech)Great Falls National Park. Babita Thapa (Virginia Tech)A yellow-crowned night heron shows off its prized catch as it happily prances through the marsh in Pleasure House Natural Area in Virginia Beach, VA. www.lucapfephoto.com. Luca Pfeiffer (University of Virginia)Summer sunset at Lake Anna. Skylar Jackman (University of Virginia)The Atlantic Coast. Nick Gomer (UVA)Maple Flat Ponds in Stuarts Draft, VA. Meagan Bragg (Virginia Tech)
