Water Quality Monitoring

What is the James River Watch?

James River Watch is a river conditions map that communicates bacteria levels and other river conditions to the public. During the summer, weekly swimming, and paddling conditions are made available at www.jamesriverwatch.org, so before you head down to the banks of the James and take the plunge, remember that it pays to know before you go!

Why Monitor Bacteria?

While the James River is a great place to cool off, it can carry extra pollutants during periods of high water and after heavy summer downpours. Some segments of the river are impaired due to excessive harmful bacteria—which can make an afternoon on the river less enjoyable. James River Watch was designed to report bacteria levels and communicate them to the public, so you can have a better time on the water!

Help the James River Watch project

Volunteers help us track the health of the James by collecting water samples every Thursday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. No monitoring or science background is required. We will assign volunteers to sampling teams, and work with each volunteer to help establish a sampling schedule that fits individual schedules and availability.

Water Quality Monitoring Training 2025

Our 2025 training sessions have wrapped up, but we’d be thrilled to have you participate in our 2026 program! To get started, please complete the form below. We’ll reach out when the next round of training sessions kicks off in early spring. If you have general questions about volunteering for the James River Watch project, you can email Michael Gillert at mgillert@thejamesriver.org.

Volunteer Interest Form

Frequently Asked Questions:

What day do you sample?

Volunteers collect water and take measurements on Thursdays between 9 am and 2 pm. Depending on the site, there may be a short amount of time on Friday required to read your sample results.

Do I have to sample every week during the summer? I have a vacation planned, can I still sample?

Before the season starts we try to get the availability for all of our volunteers and create a schedule for the whole summer. Typically, volunteers will be assigned 3-4 weeks when they have indicated they are available, though that number may change based off of your availability and the availability of other volunteers.

Use your time on the river to give back to its health.

If you routinely spend time fishing, paddling, or boating the James or one of its tributaries, we have other volunteer opportunities that you may be interested in!

Help the James - on the water