Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, based in Warsaw, Virginia, was established in 1996 and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It consists of scattered units along the Rappahannock River in King George, Caroline, Essex, Westmoreland, and Richmond counties, with most acreage in Richmond County. The refuge was created to protect fish and wildlife, especially wetlands, streams, and threatened and endangered species within the Rappahannock River watershed. It also supports restoration of native plants, animals, and wetland ecosystems, and forms part of the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex.