James River Association gives the waterway a health rating of B

The James River flows for hundreds of miles through Virginia, connecting communities from Botetourt County to the Chesapeake Bay. Many localities along the way take water to support urban areas while many people depend on the waterway for recreation and rejuvenation.

The James River Association (JRA) publishes a report every two years that provides a snapshot of the health of the James River and its tributaries. In late October, the group released its latest report giving an overall grade of B.

“When JRA was founded in 1976 we estimate that the grade for the James River would have been a low D-minus due to the high levels of raw sewage and untreated industrial waste entering the river, including the toxic insecticide, Kepone, that forced the closure of the tidal James to any kind of fishing 50 years ago this year,” said Bill Street, president of the JRA.

That B rating is based on a percentage of 68 percent in a report that tracks eighteen indicators divided into the categories of River Health and River Restoration Progress. This year’s score is up from 55 percent in 2007.

Street said there are positives and negatives given that the James River is a complex ecosystem with many factors to review.

“On the positive side, upstream indicators like stream health, smallmouth bass and riparian buffers have high scores and saw increases over the past two years,” Street said, adding that progress has been made due to investments in water treatments plants and stormwater management.

However, other indicators have declined since the 2023 report such as underwater grasses, oysters, and tidal water quality.

“Alarmingly, American shad remained at zero for the third straight report and striped bass numbers also declined substantially,” Street said. “American shad and striped bass are part of a vulnerable group of migratory fish that return from the ocean to their home rivers, such as the James, to spawn.”

You can take a look at either the interactive report or the print report.

Top photo: This is only half of the full illustration that accompanies the 2025 State of the James Report. Make sure you download the report to see the other half. You can do so here. (James River Association)

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