The James River has won international recognition for our community’s efforts to eliminate pollution. (Photo via Getty Images)
Flowing through downtown Richmond, the James River is a recreational haven that welcomes as many as 2 million visitors each year, according to Friends of the James River Park. Offering hiking, climbing, fishing, boating and birdwatching, the 600-acre park system dotting the river’s banks provides a scenic escape from the bustling city. But beneath the surface lies a complicated question: Is it safe to swim?
Safety First
“Yes, most of the time,” says Tom Dunlap, who serves as the James Riverkeeper for the James River Association, the largest nonprofit river conservation group in Richmond.
Swimming — or even just wading — certainly has not always been safe. From 1966 to 1975, Allied Chemical and a contractor, Life Science Products, manufactured an insecticide called Kepone in Hopewell, disposing of waste in the river. In 1975, the negative effects of Kepone exposure on humans were documented, as was the extent of the chemical pollution in the river, which immediately shuttered both the factory and commercial fishing on the James — and, in 1976, inspired the founding of the James River Association.
The fishing ban was partially lifted in 1980 and finally expired in 1988, but the river was considered one of the country’s worst-polluted waterways for another decade. From 2000 onward, however, local and governmental efforts have nursed the James back to health.
The return of Atlantic sturgeon is a sign of the river’s recovery. (Photo by Heaton Johnson)
River Renaissance
“We’ve seen a tremendous amount of investment from the state in trying to reach water quality goals. That has really allowed the James to rebound from being one of the more polluted rivers in the entire country to now one that not only do people want to swim in, but people want to engage with it in all sorts of ways,” Dunlap says.
Healthy river systems are critical for biodiversity, and as the James River and its environs have recovered, so have its inhabitants. In the past decade, Atlantic sturgeon, once thought gone from the river, have reappeared, and bald eagles have come back so strongly that some are leaving the watershed to get away from their competitors. It may not seem as though a species or two makes a difference, but biodiversity is essential to the survival of all species — including humans, who also rely on the landscapes like the James River watershed to act as a natural floodplain and carbon sink, protecting the city from the effects of changing weather patterns due to global warming.
“Everything we do is connected to rivers and waterways in some way, shape or form, regardless of your background, your geographic location, your career pathways, aspirations — it’s connected to fresh water,” says Adam Schellhammer, the mid-Atlantic regional director of American Rivers, a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization focused on protecting and promoting the health of rivers in the United States.
Another river health advocacy organization, International RiverFoundation, awarded the Thiess International Riverprize to the James in 2019 for its transformation from one of the most polluted rivers in the world to one of the most improved.
Resilience
But with all the success, the James River remains vulnerable to modern threats. Pollution from urban runoff, sewer overflows and industrial waste still pose significant challenges, testing the limits of the river’s resilience. After heavy rains, stormwater overwhelms Richmond’s aging sewer system, causing untreated wastewater to spill into the James. This spikes bacterial levels, making swimming dangerous for days. The city of Richmond has a plan to fix the combined sewer system by 2035 to end the overflow events.
In the meantime, Dunlap, the Riverkeeper, says waiting 48 to 72 hours after a rain event is generally sufficient time to allow the water to return to its baseline. Swimmers who want a more precise measure can refer to the James River Association’s James River Watch Program.
“Every week during the prime recreational season, so that’s from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we sample the river on Thursday afternoons,” Dunlap explains. Volunteers test multiple parameters, including water temperature, cloudiness and E. coli content. In the 2024 season, 81% of tests showed that the water was safe for swimming. “After 24 hours, we report our data on Fridays so that, every weekend, before people go to do their weekend activity in the water, they can know if it’s safe.” JRA publishes the data at jamesriverwatch.org.
Friends
At Pony Pasture, on the south riverbank near Bon Air, a sign asks visitors to, “Be a friend, support the James River Park.” It was placed there by Friends of the James River Park, a nonprofit, citizen-led organization that supports the park system. Clean water is not the only must-have for a dip in the river on a hot summer day — there also needs to be public land, a parking lot and a cleared trail to the riverbank. That’s where the Friends step in. They also publish river safety information at jamesriverpark.org and place signs at entry points indicating whether it is safe to enter.
Ralph White, the manager of the James River Park System from 1980 to 2012, and an army of volunteers transformed a series of riverfront park parcels from an overgrown, trash-strewn wasteland to the neat network of recreation sites and urban wilderness Richmonders enjoy today. The Friends, founded in 1999, promote and advocate for the park, help with volunteer efforts, offer enrichment and education for visitors, and, crucially, raise funds for maintenance projects.
Originally a grassroots volunteer group, the Friends became a professional organization after City Council adopted the James River Park System Master Plan in 2020. The following year the nonprofit hired Josh Stutz, its first executive director and an experienced nonprofit manager, to implement the plan. “I care a lot about this infrastructure and this environment and want to see it thrive,” Stutz says.
He works closely with Giles Garrison, the current park superintendent, to implement projects the city does not have the budget for. “The problems of the park are problems we can solve. The only real issue is money,” Stutz says.
He explains that the city of Richmond owns and partially funds the park system, but it gives the Friends permission to use private money to do work on public land. The Friends buy equipment for the park system, replace infrastructure such as boat ramps, spread river safety awareness, and provide ongoing support for the protection and enhancement of the park.
The James River attracts as many as 2 million hikers, bikers and swimmers each year. (Photo by Caroline Martin)
Recreational Hub
The combination of money, volunteers and countless hours out in the park helped transform the James River Park System into a recreational hub with an economic influence. As many as 2 million visitors come from all over the country to play in the water and enjoy the park system each year, according to the Friends. In 2023, visitors to Belle Isle alone spent $2.1 million, according to a report by Longwood University’s College of Economics.
Visitors can climb a rock wall or old railroad trestles, watch birds from the walkway created along a stormwater pipeline, and hike or bike waterfront paths. Getting into the water itself unlocks another level of outdoor recreation. When the conditions are right, the river is rife with swimmers, tubes, kayaks and paddleboards.
Everything we do is connected to rivers and waterways in some way, shape or form ... it’s connected to fresh water.
Adam Schellhammer, American Rivers regional director
Alice Broderick, associate director of digital for American Rivers, enjoys kayaking the river’s class IV rapids. She has seen both the activism and water sports sides of the James River community.
“Whitewater kayaking is one of the most terrifying but most gratifying things that I’ve ever done,” Broderick says, adding that time spent on or near the river serves as a mental health boost. During the peak season, she says, she’s out in the rapids three to four times per week.
Whether whitewater kayaking or hiking on the surrounding trails, Broderick enjoys connecting with a diverse range of people who share her interest in the James.
“It’s a place where people can come together,” Broderick says, “and really care about something and see the importance of it.”
In coming together, Richmonders not only protect a vital resource but also preserve a piece of their identity. The James River is more than water, it’s a reflection of the city itself: resilient, vibrant and full of life.
