Across the Commonwealth and across the aisle, Virginians value clean water and healthy rivers. The James River supports thriving industries, from family farms and working forests to local tourism and outdoor recreation businesses, and it delivers clean drinking water to 2.7 million Virginians.
Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan includes practices that will improve the health of our rivers and streams. But we need strong state funding and policies to put those practices in place. To restore the Bay, and our rivers, we urge our state leaders to support our James River Agenda as we enter into the 2025 Virginia General Assembly.
On December 18th, 2024 Governor Youngkin released his proposed amendments to Virginia’s biennial budget for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. His amendments add $94 million to programs supporting cleaner water and healthier rivers, including:
- $17.4 million for additional agricultural best management practices and technical assistance, as part of $258 million for soil and water conservation in the two-year budget.
- $17.4 million for upgrades to wastewater treatment plants to better remove nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, added to the $400 million already in the two-year budget.
- An additional $50 million to help the City of Richmond prevent contaminated overflows from its combined sewer system during heavy rain events, bringing the total investment to $100 million in the two year budget.
While we are encouraged to see the commitment to these investments, other key priorities to improve water quality and the overall health of the James were left unaddressed. Virginia is still working to meet its 2025 goals for the Chesapeake Bay Cleanup by reducing pollution loads from stormwater, wastewater, and agricultural runoff. However, reports show that the Commonwealth and the rest of the Bay watershed are not on track to meet these goals on time. Therefore, more investment is needed in the programs and practices that will help us reach these goals as soon as possible.
Specifically, we will be asking that the General Assembly deliver on long-standing, bipartisan goals for cleaner water and healthy natural landscapes by seeking the following additions to Virginia’s biennial budget:
- $50 million for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) to help communities reduce runoff pollution and prevent flooding.
- An additional $200 million through 2026 to help the City of Richmond prevent contaminated overflows from its combined sewer system during heavy rain events.
- $230 million in dedicated funding for land conservation and outdoor recreation annually through the passage of Virginia’s Great Outdoors Act.
- $1.8 million for priority projects and studies that will benefit migratory fish, including the imperiled American shad.
- Funding to provide additional full-time staff with the Shoreline Erosion and Advisory Service (SEAS) at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, positions dedicated to providing technical assistance, planning, and outreach efforts to mitigate shoreline erosion and support increased implementation of living shorelines.
- An annual allocation of $1 million for a competitive grant program that supports environmental literacy for students across Virginia.
In addition to the budgetary items we will be seeking, we will continue to prioritize specific policies that restore and protect migratory fish species. Migratory fish species, especially those that move between our fresh waters and the ocean, are of critical economic, ecological, and recreational importance to Virginia. Despite their importance, many of our valued migratory fish species such as river herring, American shad, striped bass, American eel, and the endangered Atlantic sturgeon are at risk. The 2024 survey data from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science indicates that striped bass and American shad stocks in the James River are at 11% and 0% of their management goals, respectively. Migratory fish face a growing suite of challenges ranging from reduced water quality, loss of habitat, climate change, overharvesting, and increasing surface water withdrawals. In addition to funding the called-for projects and studies identified in the James River American Shad Recovery Plan, incorporating aquatic organism passage principles into the Virginia Flood Preparedness Plan to ensure broader habitat access for migratory fish will further support these imperiled species.
As the General Assembly prepares to take up the 2025-2026 State Budget, we have the opportunity to make this the biggest investment in clean water that we’ve ever seen! And you can help by making sure your representatives know how important clean water is to you.