In Service to the Environment

On a sunny, chilly January 21, volunteers led by JRA RiverRats from the Lynchburg region and your Upper James Riverkeeper celebrated the MLK Day of Service doing exactly that – service. RiverRat Billy Taylor of Amherst County received notice of an illegal dumping of tires into a beautiful and historic James River tributary historically known as Stovall’s Creek, now called Beck Creek. One can find paintings and photos representing these once vibrant resources of James River industry and community. The historically registered Galt’s Mill and headrace, still intact hand-laid stone bridge pilings and gorgeous waterfalls are eye-catchingly on display to the fortunate public who drive beside this rural and otherwise unspoiled feeder stream. Well, that and dozens of tires and piles of trash discarded by passersby.

It simply did not seem appropriate. Alarmed folks who saw it were caught speechless. But thanks to multiple volunteers, including students from Lynchburg’s E.C. Glass High School, the stream was restored to its previous splendor. Fifty-two tires and a truckload of rubbish were removed and properly disposed. Bridgestone Americas, Inc. graciously covered all costs of hauling the tires to a local tire re-use/recycle facility. Local television and newspaper sources spotlighted these generous efforts. The issue was noticed and conscientious people responded with timely and appropriate action, bringing to light the pride and responsibility that we each share in the protection of our shared public waters. Clean water is not a privilege -- it is a right. And that right must be defended.

Dr. King challenged Americans to act collaboratively to defeat the ills of society. Tires are a blight to James River’s rich history, ecological importance and legacy. This group of individuals made a choice: To rise above the unthinking acts of a few individuals in order to show pride and stewardship for the resource that connects each of us – water.

Pat Calvert, Your Upper James RIVERKEEPER



Volunteers Not Afraid to Get TheirHands Dirty on MLK Day
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Volunteers remove tires fromAmherst County creek
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Envisioning the James…Your Opinion Is Requested

by Gabe Silver, JRA Education & Outreach Manager

Rivers often form borders between social and political entities, places in-between that have been bickered over, neglected, abused, and sometimes forgotten.  But today, people are turning to rivers as places that connect us to our natural and cultural heritage, as places to play, as places that demand cooperation and collaboration if we are to benefit from them today and in the future.  

Last year, the James River Association teamed up with the Chesapeake Conservancy and National Geographic to launch the “Envision the James,” a project to define a positive vision for the future of America’s Founding River. Together, we’ve been seeking opinions from all quarters by asking questions about topics such as habitat restoration, land conservation, river access, water quality, recreational trails and tourism. Hundreds of interested citizens, businesses, organizations, and localities have given us their opinions and from this the values and concerns that people have with regards to the James have begun to take shape.

Today, we are asking you, the informed and intelligent reader of this blog, to add your two cents to the mix.

We’ve researched some of the most interesting and effective river-corridor initiatives in four theme areas; Heritage and Geotourism, Recreation and River Access, Wildlife Habitat, and Conservation and Restoration.  You can take a look at these examples, and the concepts they illustrate, in this online document.

After getting a feel for these different concepts, please go to the online survey page and take the Envision the James Concept Survey.  Make sure to click on the Join the Community tab so we can stay in touch as this project moves from imagination to implementation.  

Thank you for helping to define this vision for the future of our river. Working together toward common goals, we will find ways to enjoy and protect the James for our benefit today and make it a healthier James for the generations to come.

Shopping for a Good Cause (JRA!) at 5% Day

By Judith Warrington, JRA Grantwriter and Membership Coordinator

Thank you to the many JRA volunteers who bagged groceries and manned the JRA information booth at last Sunday’s 5% Day at Ellwood Thompson’s in Richmond’s Carytown.  And thanks, too, to Ellwood Thompson’s for its support of a cleaner James and to everyone who came out to shop in support of JRA!

Working behind the scenes at the organization, it’s always good to have a chance to talk with people about why the James River is important in their lives. And it’s especially gratifying to have people who are new to the area ask how they can become involved in protecting the river. 

We were especially glad to have Stephen Robertson of Blanchard’s Coffee join us at our information table to offer a sampling of their new James River Roast. 

If you missed the coffee tasting, you can always buy it at Ellwood Thompson’s, online from Blanchard’s Coffee or on the JRA website. A portion of each sale benefits JRA. Our staff highly recommends it! In fact, it’s the only coffee we drink.

One of the highlights of the day was a raffle for a canoe that was won by Thomas Mazich of Richmond. Congratulations, Thomas! We at JRA wish you many wonderful days of paddling on the James.

The Mighty Menhaden

By John Reedy, JRA High School Intern

(Source)

At a glance, it isn’t obvious that this fish is one of the most important animals in the sea.  Despite its small structure and ordinary features, the Atlantic menhaden plays an extremely important role in sustaining their ecosystem.  This little fish is a filter feeder, and an efficient one at that.  An adult menhaden can filter up to four gallons of water in a minute!  These fish keep the ocean water clean and clear.  The Atlantic menhaden also happens to be an extremely important food source for many other aquatic animals.  Therefore, the ecosystem’s stability is directly linked to the menhaden. 

            (Source)

Unfortunately, the Atlantic menhaden is in trouble.  Over the past three decades, the menhaden has been the victim of extreme overfishing.  This has caused large declines in population size and has put the stability of an entire ecosystem in jeopardy.  The fish population is down to approximately 10% of its original, non-commercially fished size.  A reduction so large could have huge detrimental impacts on the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem.  In order to save the population and promote stability in the ecosystem, limitations must be set on menhaden fishing.

The Virginia General Assembly has the power to help the Atlantic menhaden population.  It is crucial that our elected officials approve the total allowable catch and a 20% reduction in the harvest cap.  Otherwise, the menhaden population will drop to even lower levels, and other species are likely to suffer.  In order to prevent this tragedy in the Bay, please contact your legislator and tell them that you support House Bill 1840 today. 

Conservation Tips: Scoop that Poop!

by Amber Ellis, JRA's Watershed Restoration Associate/Volunteer Coordinator

If you have a dog, then you have a chance every day to take a simple action that will help keep our streams and the James River safe from harmful bacteria. It’s easy…scoop the poop!

Some people think pet waste is natural, so just leave it to fertilize their lawn. Well, it is “natural”, but so is human poop and over the years we have created waste water treatment plants and septic systems to manage it safely.

Over 9,000 miles of our rivers and streams in Virginia are impaired due to bacteria. Pet waste is not the only culprit, but it makes up a big chunk of it and it is something that pet owners can do something about. Other sources of bacteria are agricultural runoff, leaking sanitary and storm sewers, and urban runoff.

Pet waste carries bacteria, such as E. Coli, that is washed into our waterways during rain or snow storms. Even if you cannot see a waterway from your house, that stormwater runoff flows into storm drains where it is then discharged directly into a natural body of water carrying all of that bacteria that it picked up along the way with it. Yuck!

So it’s simple… when you let your dog out to do his or her business, follow these 3 steps. 1) Take a bag with you, 2) use the bag to pick up the waste, and 3) toss it in the trash! This is one of the easiest things that we can all do to help out our waterways.

If you already cleanup after your pet or plan to after reading this, then you have taken the first step in becoming a River Hero Home! For more information about this program visit www.jamesriverhero.org .

To find out if your local stream or river is impaired and why, visit this website: http://deq.virginia.gov/mapper_ext/default.aspx?service=public/2012_Draft_Any_Use

RiverRats Gather to Clean Up Deep Creek at Belmead

by Amber Ellis, JRA's Watershed Restoration Associate/Volunteer Coordinator

 On the morning of November 15^th, 7 RiverRats and 3 other volunteers gathered out at Belmead in Powhatan to help the Sisters at Francis Emma clean up Deep Creek, a tributary of the James River. The RiverRats included, Sister Elena Henderson, Sister Jean Ryan, Cris Pond, Bill Pawelski, Mike Schlosser, Rich Marino, and Joey Klingman. Other volunteers included Tarvis Henley from Goochland, Winfred Taylor from Powhatan, and Betty McCraken with the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District.

They put in a lot of back breaking work in the morning and filled a truck and trailer with about 800 pounds of metal trash including old lockers, culverts, and other scrap metal.  They also collected 18 large tires that were picked up and recycled by Bridgestone Tires as part of their One Team One Planet program. http://www.oneteamoneplanet.com/americas/spent-tire-program/.

To reward themselves they did what any RiverRat would do and took a canoe/kayak trip along the James River!

10 Great River Dining Locations

If the cold weather is keeping you in the house and off the river, here are a few dining spots that offer a great view of the river while you eat.

1. Blue Heron - Chickahominy River

2. Smithfield Station – Smithfield

3. Dockside - Jordan Point

4. Dale House Cafe - Historic Jamestowne

5. Charley's Waterfront Cafe - Farmville

6. The Boathouse Restaurant at Rocketts Landing - Richmond

7. Legend Brewery – Richmond

8. Café at Maidens - Maidens 

9. Crab Shack - Newport News

10. Kingsmill Marina Bar and Grille - Williamsburg

Do you have any Favorites to add to the list?