The James River received a “B” on a biennial report card that tracks its health.
Its score of 68% from the James River Association – which highlights trends on 18 environmental indicators – is a significant improvement from the river’s health when the organization first began monitoring efforts 50 years ago.
Bill Street is the association’s CEO. He says the overall grade is a good sign, but it’s nuanced – with both positives and negatives.
“On the positive side, upstream indicators like stream health, small mouth bass and riparian buffers have high scores and saw increases over the past two years," Street says. "This reflects good watershed health of the upper James, as well as restoration efforts across the watershed.”
He adds that the state’s investments in wastewater treatment and stormwater management have made a real difference.
On the negative side, Street says underwater grasses, oysters and tidal water quality dropped over the last two years. The tidal-facing waters of the James still need attention in addressing pollution levels.
"To restore these waters, we must reduce pollution at its source and rebuild critical habitats so the tidal James and the whole river can thrive," he says.
The American shad — a migratory fish that once called the James home — is still nowhere to be found. The JRA says that striped bass populations have also dropped significantly since its last report in 2023.
Association officials say that additional investments in clean water programs are needed to keep improving on the James' overall health.
