2016 River Monitoring Program Launches Memorial Day Weekend

Jamie Brunkow, Lower James Riverkeeper

How’s the river doing?It’s a question James River Association staff receive all the time. The answer is not always clear for the average person. But as the weather warms and more people are outside enjoying the river, it’s important that communities understand how to stay safe on the water.

One rule of thumb can help tremendously – don’t swim after a rain. E. coli bacteria is a common pollutant that people may encounter in the river after rainstorms. Whether it’s from humans, pets, or farms – stormwater runoff carries fecal waste into our waterways and can pose a significant risk to recreational river users. Higher levels of E. Coli mean a higher presence of pathogens that can make people sick.

Enter the James River Watch.

JRA launched the James River Watch online platform to help update the public with the latest water quality conditions. E. Coli bacteria data is posted each Friday to reveal whether conditions meet state standards for recreational contact. And the website pulls in real time data from multiple sources, presenting when water levels are too high or too low for paddling or swimming. The James River Watch is an easy way to track river conditions and to be safe when planning your river trips.

Visit www.jamesriverwatch.org to view the latest information, or download the SwimGuide app.

Getting Involved.

More than 90 volunteers were trained and certified this year to lead water testing at 26 locations across the watershed. Volunteers are collecting invaluable data to help inform the public about the risks associated with bacteria pollution. In addition to tracking this information, we need your help to tackle the immense challenge of stormwater runoff pollution. There are plenty of small steps citizens can take to reduce pollution – you can commit to planting trees and vegetation at home that will soak up stormwater, or installing a rain barrel, or picking up pet waste. Many in communities along the James River have already made these kinds of commitments as a part of JRA’s River Hero program. These small steps do make a difference.

Be safe this Memorial Day weekend, and see you on the river.

Vote Now for the Regional River Feature Contest!

Volunteering for the James

We love our RiverRat volunteers! They act as the James River’s first line of citizen defense by assisting our Riverkeepers as the eyes and ears of the river and its tributaries. RiverRats come from all over the watershed, are all ages and have many different backgrounds. You don’t need to be a scientist or skilled paddler to become a RiverRat.

Meet our June Volunteer of the Month, Beth Butner. She is a retired Chesterfield County middle school educator. While she has lived in Chesterfield for over 40 years, she was born and raised in Isle of Wight County near Smithfield. She still co-owns her family farm with her sister, and she and her husband also are lucky enough to own a weekend home on the James in the Day’s Point area outside of Smithfield. 

Isle of Wight was one of the original English land shires in Virginia and Beth’s ancestors were some of its first settlers. She has a strong appreciation for history and loves to sit on her dock reading up on Virginia’s history and imaging ships passing by on the James.

Beth and her husband have been James River Association members for over 25 years because of their deep connection with the river. Their home provides them a front row seat to Virginia’s history and beauty and they consider themselves cheerleaders for cities and counties that emphasize and celebrate our flowing treasure.

Beth also shares her love for the James with her son. They are both Lower James RiverRats who patrol between the Pagan River and Burwell’s Bay. Beth feels it is “the least we can do…to be good stewards of a small but valuable part of this natural treasure.”

Recently, she was walking in the Morgart’s Beach area near their home and she found a dead, untagged sturgeon in the grass. She was in awe of the prehistoric specimen and saddened that it had met its demise. Unable to determine the cause of death, she assumed it had washed ashore and vultures had moved it to a grassy area. Beth called the James River Association to report this unfortunate discovery.

Protecting and preserving the river is incredibly important to Beth. She couldn’t be more proud to call the James River watershed her home. “I feel the James River is the lifeblood of Virginia as it flows through her with such vibrancy and provides so many opportunities for her inhabitants to live, work, enjoy and prosper,” said Beth. “I am proud to be a Virginian who can enjoy and be blessed by the mighty James!”

Are you interested in volunteering for the James? If so, contact Ben Hawkins, Volunteer Coordinator, at bhawkins@jrava.org or (804) 788-8811, ext. 204.

Top 40 Picnic Spots in the James River Watershed

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the James River Association. To celebrate this anniversary we’ll be releasing Top 40 lists throughout the year celebrating some of the awesome experiences the James River watershed has to offer.

Now that spring has arrived, we have surveyed our staff to bring you the Top 40 Picnic Spots in the James River watershed. So here they are, in no particular order, 40 places to enjoy a meal al fresco.

1.       Teddy J. Dressler Wayside Park on the Jackson River in Covington

2.       Humpback Bridge in Covington

3.       Sharon Park on the Cowpasture River in the Townof Sharon

4.       Blue Ridge Vineyard in Eagle Rock

5.       Rockbridge Baths Wayside in Rockbridge County

6.       Picnic area at Goshen Pass in Rockbridge County

7.       Jordan’s Point Park in Lexington

8.       Buchanan Town Park in Buchanan

9.       Picnic area at boat launch in Glasgow

10.   Percival’s Island Park in Lynchburg

11.   Riversedge Park in Amherst

12.   Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison

13.   Darden Towne Park in Charlottesville

14.   Riverview Park in Charlottesville

15.   James River State Park in Gladstone

16.   Van Clief Nature Area in Scottsville

17.   Canal Basin Square in Scottsville

18.   Powhatan State Park in Powhatan

19.   Tucker Park at Maidens Crossing in Goochland

20.   Robious Landing in Midlothian

21.   Maymont in Richmond

22.   Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond

23.   42^nd Street Rocks in Richmond

24.   Virginia State Capitol in Richmond

25.   Belle Isle in Richmond

26.   Pony Pasture in Richmond

27.   Libby Hill Park in Richmond

28.   Deep Bottom Park in Henrico

29.   Osborne Landing in Henrico

30.   Grapevine Bridge in Henrico

31.   Lawrence Lewis Jr. Park in Charles City

32.   Appomattox Court House in Appomattox

33.   Appomattox Riverside Park/Ferndale Park inPetersburg

34.   City Point in Hopewell

35.   Chickahominy Riverfront Park in Williamsburg

36.   Jamestown Beach in Williamsburg

37.   Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry

38.   Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield

39.   Huntington Beach in Newport News

40.   Fort Monroe beach in Hampton

Volunteering for the James

James River Association volunteers come in all shapes and sizes. They live all over the watershed, have many different skills and can be any age.

Meet our May Volunteer of the Month, Linus. He’s 12 years old student at Tuckahoe Middle School who lives in Lakeside, VA. Linus loves the James River and goes kayaking almost every week in the summer, so he understands the importance of keeping the river beautiful and clean. At school, he is involved with Service as Action, so of course he chose to volunteer for the James River!

When it comes to volunteering with the James River Association, Linus has done his fair share. He has picked up trash at numerous locations along the river, including along Upham Brook and Horsepen Branch, and at Ancarrow’s Landing and Texas Beach. All sorts of items were discovered during his cleanups, including toddler Nike Air Jordans!

His most memorable volunteer experience came when he chose to mark stormdrains with educational markers that remind citizens to put “only rain down the drain.” Linus had to pick up the stormdrain markers from the Department of Public Utilities, which meant navigating through Richmond’s City Hall. He affixed the markers to stormdrains in Carytown and even got his little brother Zane to help him.

When asked why he would encourage others to volunteer, Linus said “it’s really fun and you’re doing something good for your river. My uncle says you should know your river, but I say respect your river.”

Are you interested in volunteering for the James? If so, contact Ben Hawkins, Volunteer Coordinator, at bhawkins@jrava.org or (804) 788-8811, ext. 204.