Although the river’s health slightly improved since the 2021 State of the James report, the nonprofit James River Association said its progress has slowed.
“Which is a reminder that we must remain vigilant to continue making progress in the face of new threats caused by climate change,” said Executive Director Bill Street.
On Thursday, JRA released its latest biannual State of the James report, detailing changes in river health and restoration efforts.
In a presentation, Street said Virginia has come a long way since the 1970s, when the river was badly polluted with chemicals and sediment, leading to fishing moratoriums in some places. Street highlighted two indicators that did well during the past two years: the health of underwater grasses and tidal waters.
“Because both of these indicators are largely influenced by pollution from upstream sources, their improvement signals broader progress,” he said.
According to the new study, overall water quality — a combined measure of dissolved oxygen, algae and water clarity — also improved since the 2021 report, but still isn’t much better than it was in the ’80s.
Other indicators suffered. It was another bad year for American shad, a migratory fish that has long been an important part of the food chain and the culture of the James.
“This time, the researchers literally caught zero American shad in their survey for the first time,” Street said.
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is working on an American shad recovery plan, which will be delivered to the General Assembly next month. Street is hopeful that its implementation will have knock-on benefits for other important fish species also struggling with habitat access, invasive species and pollution.
Street said the state fully funded “the identified need” for wastewater and agriculture pollution control programs in its most recent two-year budget, but urged policymakers to not let up when requests for the next two-year budget begin.
“If we back off, we risk losing the progress we have gained,” Street said.
He added that river health is important because of the many ways people use and benefit from the James. According to the JRA report, It’s the largest source of drinking water in Virginia, adds millions of dollars to the economy from fish and shellfish sales, and offers an invaluable connection with nature to millions living in and visiting the state.
Richmond’s pollution
The city of Richmond is responsible for certain improvements to its wastewater system that will ultimately help the James River meet cleanup goals.
One indicator in JRA’s report that has improved steadily is bacteria levels. Bacteria enter the river through wastewater systems and livestock grazing nearby or in tributary streams. Once in the river system, bacteria can be harmful to wildlife and people recreating in the water.
The city of Richmond is, at times, a major contributor of bacteria pollution to the James, due to its outdated combined sewer system. In much of the city, sewer pipes handle rainwater runoff from the street together with wastewater from homes and other buildings. The system can be overloaded during long rainstorms or brief, heavy downpours. That sends excess rain and wastewater — as well as bacteria and other pollutants — into the James River.
The city is obligated under a 2020 state law and agreements with the state Department of Environmental Quality to improve its system and reduce annual bacteria pollution by about 80% by 2035, according to city TMDL manager Grace LeRose. TMDLs — total maximum daily loads — are the highest levels of certain pollutants that a body of water can take in and remain compliant with pollution standards.
The city submitted an interim work plan in 2021, which is being implemented now. A final plan is due in July 2024.
“That gives us 11 years to build something,” LeRose said at a City Council committee meeting this week. “Which is lightning fast, as you all know, in Richmond.”
And it will be expensive: $400 million to $800 million in today’s dollars, said LeRose. Without help from state and federal coffers, the mandated projects will be paid for by Richmond ratepayers. The city was expecting to receive $100 million in state funds this year, but that money was cut during budget negotiations.
City officials said they’re lobbying Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office to restore that cash in his “caboose” budget, which makes changes to the previous biennium’s spending. They’re also asking for $200 million over the next two fiscal years.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also administers grant funds, but they’re limited. The agency announced in August that $50 million would be available in summer 2024.
Councilor Katherine Jordan said it’s “very important” for the city to get the state funds.
“Because the state is the one who put this mandate on us,” Jordan said. “Otherwise, what we're looking at would be getting the funds from our ratepayers. And I think we all know that the ratepayers are already feeling stressed on the bills that they're getting.”
Water rates in the city increased by $1.55 this summer for typical customers using 6 CCFs — roughly 45 gallons — in a month.
Shawn Ralston, JRA vice president of programs, said the colocation of Richmond’s sewer overflows and the large population of river users poses a public health risk. But she said, pollution reduction efforts don’t stop there.
“Other sources exist across the watershed, such as agricultural runoff and runoff from land development activities,” Ralston said. “It will take a concerted effort targeted toward each of these sources in order to sufficiently address bacteria pollution in the James.”
Lawmakers will return to the state capitol in January to work through new legislation and a new biennial budget, while deciding how much to spend on clean water programs.
Disclosure: The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is a VPM sponsor.
