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The overall grade of the 2025 State of the James has improved to a B with a score of 68% from its failing health decades ago. Although the pace of progress has slowed, a grade-A James River is possible if we keep up our collective efforts and continue to address key issues together. However, the 2023 American shad stock assessment by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science found that populations of American shad in the James are at an all-time low. Given the dire situation, JRA fought for funding to develop an emergency recovery plan that identified immediate actions that could be taken to improve the American shad fishery in the James River. This plan will be delivered to Virginia Legislators in the fall of 2023 with more actions to follow, but it will take a long-term and sustained effort to bring American shad in the James River back from the brink of collapse.
Advocacy News
State funding needed to support study on PFAS contamination in drinking water
'Emerging contaminants' are chemicals unregulated by water quality or drinking water standards. They are considered emerging not because they are new but because there is a growing concern about their effects on human health and the environment. Among these...
Richmond’s City Council Adopts Ordinance to Create Five New Parks in Southside
Mayor Levar Stoney made a commitment to improve park and green space access in 2018 and assembled a team to tackle the issue earlier this year. Richmond’s Green Team was convened for the first time in January to identify and prioritize city-owned parcels of land that...
