Chuck Frederickson serves as the Lower James River Keeper, patrolling the James three to five days a week.

When the Godspeed first dropped anchor at the Jamestown settlement in 1607, settlers looking over the side of the ship were able to watch the anchor descend the entire 40 feet and hit the bottom of the crystal-clear James River. Looking in the same spot today, those settlers would be lucky to see three feet into the water.
For years, polluted runoff has been one of the biggest factors in creating an unbalanced ecosystem in the James River. Over the past 20 years, this runoff, containing a mixture of bacteria, sediment, heavy metals, phosphorus and pesticides, has damaged habitats in the James River watershed, decimating wildlife populations, including that of the striped bass, American shad, brook trout, oysters and bald eagles. Though bald eagles and striped bass have made a strong resurgence, the future still looks grim for oyster, shad and trout populations.
Thanks to work by organizations such as the James River Association, however, the James River is starting to make a recovery. Speaking during the Historic Hopewell Foundation’s lunch lecture series, Lower James River keeper Chuck Frederickson outlined the current state of James River as well as what is being done to continue these efforts.
“I am the eyes and the ears of the river,” says Frederickson. “I’m on the river three to five times a week looking at what is going on so that I can make these issues real for people. Right now, we are at the halfway point in our goals.”
Much work has already been done to reduce sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, most notably through a reduction in wastewater treatment pollution and an increase in conservation tillage – tillage methods that leave soil intact rather than plowing it up – and land conservation. However, land development continues to be one of the biggest offenders in diminished water quality. Currently, the James River Association has only reached 42 percent of their goal in encouraging low impact development policies, 25 percent in sediment and erosion control compliance and 8 percent in urban nutrient management.
“A lot of times developers want to do things to minimize their developmental impact, but county and city regulations don’t allow them to do so. They have to make roads and curbs a certain width and from certain materials,” says Frederickson.
In the midst of developmental boom, Chesterfield County officials have worked with Frederickson to help minimize their impact on the James.
“I’ve sat down with Chesterfield officials several times and they have been very cooperative,” says Frederickson. “They have a lot of developmental pressures, but they do have a very robust erosion sedimentary control program.”
To prepare for the future, the James River Association has also developed a number of youth outreach programs. Programs have ranged from helping students grow mussels in class to taking students on camping trips to Presquile.
“We have already had five camping trips for inner-city children to Presquile,” says Frederickson. “We are doing these educational outreaches to develop the next generation of James River guardians.”
The Association will soon have more of an opportunity to groom new James River guardians. Through a recent agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the James River Association will be building an education center on Presquile.
“We are still working out all the details, but we hope to take groups out there once it is finished and we will be able to stay overnight,” says Frederickson. “We will run educational programs there to get young folks into the river and river issues.”
nderatto@villagepublishing.com | 751-0421

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