James River Downgraded

Report shows James River not as healthy

The health of the James River is slipping in the face of new development and rising populations, according to a conservation organization. In a new “State of the James” report released Wednesday, the James River Association downgraded the waterway from a C+ to a C. While noting some successes, the river’s overall progress is starting to sputter, the association said.

“Like a boat rowing against the tide, our efforts and investments over the past decade have only kept pace with the growing population and development,” said executive director Bill Street. “Unfortunately, unless we redouble our commitment to controlling pollution flowing into the James, we run the real risk of erasing the progress we have worked so hard to achieve,” he said.

The tension between increasing population and increasing pollution control efforts has been apparent to many of us for years.  While modest efforts at pollution control appear to have some effect on a per capita basis, the growth of population around the bay has to a large extent negated the progress.  This is particularly apparent in nutrient control efforts.

However, what factors led to the downgrade of the James?

Little headway has been made in reducing serious pollutants such as phosphorous and nitrogen over the past 10 years, and sediment from storm water runoff increased as more major storms occurred.

So it's weather?  Likely a result of the combined effects of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.  We've seen this before, where a bad weather year causes a temporary downgrade of  a system.  It's rarely politically wrong to downgrade a river and call for more donations to your nonprofit.

The James is also the site of one of the better success stories of the Chesapeake Bay, a spawning and increasing sturgeon population.