FLUVANNA COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A Native American site in the Central Virginia area has been listed as one of the most endangered historic places in the country.

According to a release, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included Rassawek, the historic capital of the Monacan Indian Nation, in its annual American’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list.

Preservation Virginia says the site is being threatened by the James River Water Authority’s proposed water intake and pump station at the confluence of the Rivanna and James rivers.

This project is a joint venture between Louisa and Fluvanna counties to deliver water to the Zion Crossroads area to support economic development.

The release says Rassawek is equivalent to Werowocomoco, the Powhatan capital, that is set to become a national park.

“Our capital city was a contemporary of Jamestown, but much larger and more complex, and it lasted as a community far longer,” said Tribal Chief Kenneth Branham. “It is for us a sacred place of great cultural significance, and it is for all Americans a place of historical importance.” 

Preservation Virginia listed Rassawek as one of its Most Endangered Historic Places earlier this year and aimed to raise national awareness about it by nominating it for the National Trust’s list.

“Our goal in this nomination is to ensure that the James River Water Authority carefully considers and chooses one of the several available alternatives for siting this project,” said Preservation Virginia CEO Elizabeth S. Kostelny.

“The history of more than 5,000 years of Monacan people is written in the soil and landscape of Rassawek, providing a tangible connection to ancestors, many of whom did not survive the arrival of the English and are buried there,” said Katherine Malone-France, Chief Preservation Officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Earlier this year, thousands of people expressed their opposition to the project to the Army Corps of Engineers, which is considering a permit for it.