How deep is the James River in Virginia?
James River. Drafts of vessels above Newport News do not exceed 15 feet. The James River provides depths of 25 feet to the Richmond Deepwater Terminal and in the Terminal Turning Basin; 18 feet to and in the Richmond Harbor Turning Basin; 18 feet to the Lock at Richmond.
What is the course of the James River?
James River. The river then meanders in a southeasterly direction to enter Hampton Roads through an estuary 5 miles (8 km) wide at Newport News after a course of 340 miles (550 km). As the James River flows through one of the gorges in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it drops in the Balcony Falls and again in a 3-mile (5-km) series of rapids...
How many square miles does the James River drain?
The James River drains a catchment comprising 10,432 square miles (27,020 km2). The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people (2000).
What is the relative location of the James River?
/ 36.94167°N 76.44361°W / 36.94167; -76.44361 The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows 348 miles (560 km) to Chesapeake Bay.
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Can you swim in the James river Virginia?
“The James River is an amazing resource and a great place to cool off during the summer,” said Ben Watson, staff scientist for the James River Association. “The James and other local waterways are safe for swimming and boating the vast majority of the time, but river-goers should use extra caution after heavy rain.”
Why is the James river so dirty?
Pollution in the 1960's "In the mid-1960s, Allied Chemical Corporation began illegally dumping Kepone, the chlorinated insecticide it manufactured in Hopewell, Virginia, directly into the James. The company continued to poison the river with this unregulated industrial waste for more than a decade.
Does the James river have sharks?
Considered one of the most aggressive sharks in the water scientists say the bull shark can adapt to fresh water pretty easily so it's quite conceivable that one of the sharks could make its way up the James. Ben Dacey fishes the James River frequently.
How dirty is the James river?
The James River is at risk from 1,100 toxic storage sites, up to 5 billion gallons of coal ash and millions of gallons of crude oil traveling along the shore each week.
Are there sharks in the James river in Virginia?
Here in Virginia, we probably don't have too much occasion to keep double-checking for dorsal fins in the James. Morrissey notes that the bull shark is not common in our waters, preferring tropical and subtropical regions (a preference that, following this past winter, quite a few Virginians likely share).
Are there crayfish in the James river?
Crayfish abundance and production at the three sites, which decreased from Eagle Rock to Richmond, thus reflected the decreasing availability of preferred habitat. Low availability of preferred substrate, however, may not totally explain the low crayfish abundance and production in the James River.
Are there great white sharks in Virginia?
Sable, an 800-pound, 11.5-foot female great white shark, pinged off the coast of Virginia Beach on Tuesday, May 3. The juvenile shark was first tagged by shark research non-profit OCEARCH.
Is James River saltwater?
The bay is an estuary, an area where fresh water flowing from land meets salt water from the sea. Scientists consider the bay to consist of its main part near the coast as well as its tidal tributaries, so that would include the James up to Richmond. The James' water remains fresh until just below Hopewell.
Are there tiger sharks in Virginia?
Occasional visitors to Virginia waters and are usually found at least 10-20 miles offshore. The majority of individuals that occur in the region are sub-adults and adults; the juveniles are born farther south and remain there during their first years.
Does the James River still have sewage in it?
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia health officials are lifting James River swimming restrictions now that bacteria concentrations have reached an acceptable level a week after hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage spilled from a sewer line into a tributary.
Why is the James River so brown?
The James River turns brown with polluted runoff after a rain storm in July 2006. Currently, the health of the James River receives an overall grade of C with an average score of 52 percent. This means that we are about half way to the goals for returning the James River to full health.
Is James River still contaminated?
Virginia health officials are warning people and pets to avoid swimming or wading in the James River after hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage spilled from a Goochland County sewer line into a tributary of the river. July 29, 2021, at 11:33 a.m.
Overview
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows 348 miles (560 km) to Chesapeake Bay. The river length extends to 444 miles (715 km) if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. It is the longest river in Virginia. Jamestown and Williamsburg, Virginia's first colonial capitals, and Richmond, Virginia's curr…
History
The Native Americans who populated the area east of the Fall Line in the late 16th and early 17th centuries called the James River the Powhatan River, named for the chief of the Powhatan Confederacy which extended over most of the Tidewater region of Virginia. The Jamestown colonists who arrived in 1607 named it "James" after King James I of England (r. 1603–1625), as they constructed the first permanent English settlement in the Americas at Jamestown along the …
Watershed and course
The James River drains a catchment comprising 10,432 square miles (27,020 km ). The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people (2000). The James River forms near Iron Gate on the border between Alleghany and Botetourt counties, from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson rivers in the Appalachian Mountains. It flows into the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton Roads. Tidal waters extend west to Richmond, the capital of Virgini…
Recreation
The James River contains many parks and other recreational attractions. Canoeing, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and swimming are some of the activities that people enjoy along the river during the summer. From the river's start in the Blue Ridge mountains to Richmond, numerous rapids and pools offer fishing and whitewater rafting. The most intense whitewater stretch is a 2-mile (3 km) segment that ends in downtown Richmond where the river goes over the fall line. This is the only …
Dams
Due to its potential for generating mechanical power for rotating machinery such as grist mills, hydroelectric power, and as a water route for trade, many dams have been built across the James River since the time of European settlement of the region. While most of these dams have been removed or failed, several dams still exist along the upper course of the river. From the head of the river downstream to Richmond are found the following dams as identified by the current US …
Bridges
In the Hampton Roads area, the river is as much as 5 miles (8.0 km) wide at points. Due to ocean-going shipping upriver as far as the Port of Richmond, a combination of ferryboats, high bridges and bridge-tunnels are used for highway traffic. Crossings east to west include:
• The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (I-64)
James River Reserve Fleet
The James River is the anchorage (37°07′13″N 76°38′47″W / 37.120393°N 76.646469°W ) for a large portion of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, called the "James River fleet" or the "ghost fleet," consisting of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States during national emergencies, either military or no…
James River in music
A song was recorded by country and Western music singer Lefty Frizzell about the river, called "James River," released on the Saginaw, Michigan album.
The Americana/bluegrass band Old Crow Medicine Show, released "James River Blues," a James River boatman's lament of the arrival of the railroads, on their 2006 album Big Iron World.
A song recorded by Waylon Jennings titled "The Ghost of General Lee" mentions "the James Rive…