50th Anniversary 1976 – 2026
50th Anniversary 1976 – 2026
Summer Camps on the James River
Lynchburg, Richmond, Williamsburg, Hampton
Experience the ultimate outdoor adventure with James River Association summer camps. Our programs offer youth a unique way to explore the 10,000-square-mile James River watershed through hands-on learning and river recreation.
JUMP IN
The James River Association works to protect the James and connect people to it.
Keep the Comeback Coming
Find ways to enjoy and protect the river near you.
Enjoy the River
Protect the James
Teach and Learn
The River's Story
OUR IMPACTS
Our goal is a Grade-A river that everyone in the watershed can enjoy. These are some of our accomplishments from the last year:
420 Acres of Riparian Forest Buffers Assessed
22,000 Student Watershed Interactions
477 Water Quality Test Analyzed
268 Rain Barrels Distributed
ABOUT US
OUR WORK
Our Mission
To protect the James River and connect people to it.
Our Vision
A fully healthy James River, valued by all communities in the watershed.
We Protect
JRA monitors the river, responds to problems, seeks policy changes, and implements on-the-ground projects to restore the river’s health. We protect through our Watershed Restoration, James Riverkeeper, and River Advocacy programs.
We Connect
JRA helps communities benefit from the river by increasing river access, supporting river-related events, and implementing volunteer projects. We connect through our Environmental Education and Community Conservation programs. We believe in a James River for all.
EDUCATION
RIVERKEEPER
BUFFERS
STORMWATER
SHORELINES
ADVOCACY
Our Mission in Motion
Experience the story of the James River’s recovery and how we’re working to protect it for the next 50 years.
Keep the Comeback Coming
THE LATEST
News & Notes
50 Picnic Spots Along the James River
Summer is here, and there’s no better way to celebrate 50 years of the James River Association than by getting outside and enjoying the watershed we all work so hard to protect! To mark our 50th anniversary milestone, we’ve dusted off our classic guide from five years...
2025 James River Watch Results: Our Best and Worst Water Quality Sites
From Data to Action: Revealing the Best, Addressing the Worst, and How Our Data Drives Solutions. Some stretches of the James are as clean as it gets. Others, not so much. Here's what our 2025 James River Watch monitoring data found — and how we're using it to try to...