Top 5 Things to Look Forward to on the James this Fall

By JRA Staff

1-Perfect Paddling Weather

Crisp days and clear skies make fall the best time to paddle the James. To check for prime colors along your section of the river visit the Virginia tourism site  http://www.virginia.org/fall/  for the foliage report or call the hotline at 1-800-424-LOVE. Be safe before you go…check out current river conditions at JRA’s James RiverWatch. 

http://www.jrava.org/jrw/

2- Anthem James River Splash & Dash in Richmond

Get ready to get wet! Or just come to watch! The Anthem Splash & Dash, a 5K trail run around Belle Isle and tube race across the James takes place on Sunday, September 22, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. to benefit JRA. Join us after the race for the party at the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar Ironworks. There will be live music, food and beer sales. Event registration is $34 and open until September 18. www.richmond/jrsplashanddash.org

3 - Atlantic Sturgeon are Leaping

Take a 2.5 hour tour on the James near Presquile NWR to watch for Atlantic sturgeon as they leap completely out of the water! Join Discover the James and JRA on Thursday, September 12 or 19 from 5 to 7:30, p.m. for a nature cruise aboard the 40-foot pontoon boat Spirit of the James, leaving from Jordan Point Marina, Hopewell. Cost is $55 ($45 for JRA members). Reserve your place now! http://discoverthejames.com/?q=content/special-event-atlantic-sturgeon-james or call 804-938-2350.

4 - Fall is Planting Time

This is an ideal time to do some river-friendly landscaping.  Aerate your lawn. Plan and plant a rain garden. Evaluate the plants that didn’t make it through the summer and replace them with hardy, low maintenance native plants. Plant a tree! For the sake of a cleaner James, take steps to eliminate your home’s stormwater runoff and become a JRA-certified River Hero Home. You’ll be eligible for discounts that will save you money now and in the months to come. Find out more. http://www.jrava.org/what-we-do/river-hero/

5 - Oysters!

Fall is the season of “months with an R,” traditionally the best time for enjoying oysters. Virginia’s oyster industry is making a comeback, with the biggest harvest since 1985. Good news for oysters, oyster lovers and clean water! This year Virginia is spending $2 million to restore oyster beds in the Newport News and lower James region to help increase the population of this important and tasty native bivalve.

If you have waterfront access, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation offers information on how you can begin “oyster gardening” at your own dock. http://www.cbf.org/Document.Doc?id=195