RICHMOND — The James River received the highest Bay Health score of any major tributary in the Chesapeake Bay region on The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s annual report card for the 14th consecutive year.
It gave the Chesapeake Bay an overall grade of C+ — 55% — its highest since 2002.
The James River saw signs of improvement in the 2023 report, The James River Association noted, including reduced levels of algae, increased underwater grasses and continued high dissolved oxygen levels, which scored 100%. However, the overall James River score dropped by 3 points due to a decline in water clarity and benthic community.
“The University of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Report Card helps track restoration progress of the Bay and its tributaries, and for the 14th year in a row, it shows the James River earned the highest Bay Health score in the region,” said Bill Street, CEO of the James River Association.
“This report highlights significant long term progress for the James River, but the decreased score this year demonstrates the challenges that remain. Poor water clarity and benthic community can hinder habitat and ecosystem recovery, which are vital for many fish and wildlife species, including the imperiled American shad.”
The report card’s assessment of the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, which includes ecological, societal, and economic indicators, scored 52% — a grade of C.
The upper James River watershed remained the highest-scoring section of the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed and the only section to score in the B, or Good, range. The Middle James and Lower James sections of the watershed were in the C, or Moderate, range reflecting higher levels of development.
“These results underscore the need to maintain the level of public investment in reducing polluted runoff from cities and partnering with farmers to prevent nutrient and sediment pollution from entering local waterways,” Street said.
