More than one-third of all Virginians rely on the James River and its tributaries for water, commerce, and recreation. Our vision is a fully healthy James River supporting thriving communities. We believe if you change the James, the James will change you.
Explore
You can hike it, bike it, swim it, run it or raft it. How you enjoy the James River is up to you.
Support
We’ve taken the river from a D- to a B- in terms of overall health – but we need help to reach our goal of a Grade A James.
Volunteer
Whatever your interests are, there is a role for you in improving the health of the James River.
Discover
The James is Virginia’s largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay, at 340 miles long it is one of the longest rivers in America that begins and ends in the same state.
The James River Watershed
The James River is Virginia’s largest river, flowing across the entire state from its beginning at the headwaters of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Bath and Highland Counties, to its mouth at the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads.
Each year millions of Virginians go to the James and its tributaries to boat, fish, swim, hike or just take in the beautiful scenery.
News & Notes
Volunteer Opportunities
Our volunteers contributed over 5,500 hours to improving the health of the James River in 2018, with over 2,000 people showing up with friends, family, and four legged companions to lend a hand. We want more people to discover what our volunteers already know: If you...
read moreJames River Explorers – Shark Week
Create your own Shark Week! Check out the resources below to learn more about sharks and their teeth in the James River and Chesapeake Bay. Some of these links talk about finding sharks teeth along beaches, if you do venture out, please pay attention to current...
read moreFrom the Marsh: Blue Crabs
Welcome back to the marsh! Blue crabs are one of the most important invertebrates in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, to humans at least! They certainly live up to their scientific name of Callinectes sapidus, or beautiful tasty swimmer, and can be found throughout all...
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