- With 25,000 residents, the Indian River neighborhoods encompass five square miles in the northeast corner of Chesapeake, Virginia. Residents are attracted to its quiet streets lined with mature trees and its central location ....
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- 10 minutes from downtown Norfolk, 15 minutes to the Greenbrier shopping district, 20 minutes to the Airport, and 25 minutes to the Oceanfront. Bisecting the community, the tidal Indian River, a tributary of the Elizabeth River, has significant acreage of surviving salt marsh, natural shoreline, fishing, crabbing, and provides a year round habitat for wide variety of wildlife. The headwaters of the river’s eastern branch are sheltered by the 90 acre Indian River Park with a century old forest and almost 4 miles of trails.
History
- Originally the Great Dismal Swamp extended as far north as the Indian River watershed along the south shore of the Elizabeth River’s Eastern Branch. In the 1500’s the Chesepian Indians lived along these shores ....
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- The first Land Grants in the area were given to Englishmen with names of Tatem, Portluck, Halstead, Cornick, Sparrow, and King in the 1650’s and farmers systematically cleared and drained the forests over the two centuries. During the first great wave of suburbanization in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the first Indian River Road Bridge was built, the community of Oaklette was founded, and Norfolk Highlands was subdivided. It’s very fortunate that the 90 acre Indian River Park was set aside in 1904 in the waning years of the original City Beautiful movement of the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. Development really took off after World War 2 when Military Highway opened up the area. In 1963, the area became part of the new City of Chesapeake.
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| 1887 Map |
- History Timeline for Indian River area
- 1887 Map of Indian River area - photo of original map hanging in History Room at Chesapeake Central Library on Cedar Road.
- City Website
- City Contact Center: Do you see a problem where you need the City of Chesapeake to take action? Report the problem online or call (757) 382-2489
- Also, DEQ Pollution Response Program to report a pollution incident or a suspected violation: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/get-involved/pollution-response
- City of Chesapeake Comprehensive Plan 2035
- City School System: Most of the Indian River area is served by Norfolk Highlands Primary , Gerogetown Primary , Sparrow Road Intermediate, Indian River Middle, and Indian River High School. The Campostella neighborhood, orginally part of the historic city of South Norfolk is served by Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Oscar Smith Middle, and Oscar Smith High School (the last two located in South Norfolk).
Parks, Recreation, Libraries, and Event Centers- Indian River Park - 2001 Rokeby Avenue - 90 acre park and conservation area with 3+ miles of trails and a century old forest - the crown jewel of the Eastern Branch watershed.
- Plymouth Community Park - 605 Pond Lane - small 3 acre park along the western shore of the Indian River
- Indian River Community Center - 2250 Old Greenbrier Road
- Indian River Library - 2320 Old Greenbrier Road
- Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Community Center - 2019 Windy Rd
- Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Outreach and Innovation Library - 2726 Border Road
- Rokeby Senior Center - 1709 Rokeby Avenue
- Chesapeake Conference Center - 700 Conference Center Drive
- Today the Indian River receives a failing grade for water quality due to excessive levels of Nitrogen and Phosphorous from fertilizers, excessive levels of Bacterial contamination, and poor water clarity due to the quantity of sediments washed into the river during storms ....
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- Built out during the 1940’s through 1970’s the area suffers from aging infrastructure and a lack of modern “Best Management Practices” for the environment stewardship. There is limited public green space and practically no public access to the tidal Indian River. The waterway is on the Impaired Water List and the state and the city are working to meet Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) restrictions for these pollutants. In 2014, the Elizabeth River Project released the Eastern Branch Environmental Restoration Strategy defining a set of goals for the area including increasing public awareness, providing more public access, expanding the River Stars program, restoring habitat, and improving water quality. The Friends of Indian River have been working with the City, the Elizabeth River Project and other partners toward these goals.
- State of the Elizabeth River, Scorecard 2020
- Eastern Branch Environmental Restoration Strategy
- Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CPBA) mandates property owners maintain a 100 foot wide vegetated buffer along our waterways and wetlands. These buffers improve water quality by filtering excess sediment, nutrients, and other toxic substances before they enter the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. These buffers also help to reduce the impact of flooding, provide critical habitat to wildlife, stabilize stream banks and shorelines, and provide recreational and aesthetic benefits to our community. Learn more:
- Elizabeth River Project River Star Homes program; Homeowner funding opportunities
- Local Animal and Plant Lists
- Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, and Landscaping
- Ivy Removal Instructional Links:
- NOAA Tide and Surge predictions at Sewells Point in Norfolk.
Civic Leagues
- Norfolk Highlands Civic League - 1st Thursdays quarterly, 7 pm, @ Laurel Avenue Church of Christ
- Georgetown Civic League - 4th Mondays, alternate months, 6:30 pm, @ Indian River Library
- Ipswich Townvillas Association
Friends of Indian River
