What’s the state of the James River? Turns out, there’s a more comprehensive answer than just checking out the vibe at Belle Isle. The James River Association just released the State of the James report, a tally of the river’s health + where it is on the journey to restoration.
We dove into the numbers to see where the James made the grade + what areas still have room for improvement.
The report is published every two years. The overall score for the James remained at a B- with a 61% grade. River health is at 64% while river restoration efforts are at 58%. The score has been holding around that number since 2015.
Do you remember how rainy 2018 was? According to experts, the heavier than normal downpours from that year have impacted the progress of limiting phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment pollution. But other areas bounced back from the influx, like oysters (now at 74%) and tidal water quality — which gained six points and is now at 54%.
The highest scores are bald eagles (100%), juvenile striped bass (92%), and wastewater pollution controls (91%). Efforts to support the population of the striped bass, which is a popular recreational sportfish and commercial fish in the Chesapeake Bay, saw the score rise by six percentage points.
The most pressing revelation from the report concerns another fish — the American shad. Nicknamed America’s Founding Fish, the species spawns in the waters of the James.
There’s been a fishing moratorium for the shad since 1994 to support restoration efforts, but the score has now dropped to 0%. The JRA has an article on the challenges of protecting the shad + what you can do to help.
Want to get involved? Check out the James Changer program to see how you can support the health of the James from home. View the full interactive report + track the transformation of the river since the 1970s.
