The Virginia Estuarine and Coastal Research Reserve System (VECRRS) was created in 1999 by the General Assembly of Virginia (Code of Virginia 28.2-1103 and 28.1-1104). The purpose of VECRRS is to establish a system of protected sites representative of the Commonwealth's estuarine and coastal lands in which research and long-term monitoring can be conducted in support of the Commonwealth's coastal resource management efforts. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is responsible for administration of the Reserve system, and to the extent possible, VECCRS initiatives should be coordinated with the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia. Efforts are currently underway to establish a state research reserve within the Dragon Run watershed.