Virginia Lakes and Watersheds Association

From a recent letter to VLWA from Shawn Ralston, Vice President of Programs for JRA, James River Association recently published State of the James Report and the James River received an overall grade of B. Check out the following link to learn more about what has been happening! https://lnkd.in/ec9Mcu-u

Did you know almost every lake and pond you see in Virginia is manmade??Once you realize that, maybe then you might wonder, Who built it?, Is it safe?, Who is taking care of it??Come learn about this and more with VLWA. Stay tuned for more on National Dam Safety Awareness Day, May 31st!

VLWA is looking for great opportunities to assist non-profit organizations in the Commonwealth whose mission aligns with ours. If you know of a group who you think could benefit from VLWA, please contact Alan Davis at [email protected]

Join RVA’s 4th bi-annual World Fish Migration Day along the beautiful James River! Events occur May 3rd and May 4th. ?? Date: May 3, 2024 ?? Location: Scotts Addition, Richmond, Virginia Evening Activity: Brew Collaboration Party Time: 5 PM - 7 PM Place: Vasen Brewing Company (3331 W Moore St) Activities: New Free-flow beer release party specially for WFMD, chat with river professionals, free showing of DamBusters ?? Date: May 4, 2024 ?? Location: James River, Richmond, Virginia Morning Festival: A jam-packed day full of exciting activities for everyone! Time: 10 AM - 1 PM Place: Ancarrow’s Landing Activities: Engaging, educational, and fun for all ages. No registration?required! Afternoon Tour: Technical tour of the engineered fishway around Boshers Dam on the James River Time: 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM Place: Boshers Dam?fishway Note: Although?it’s?free, you must pre-register due to limited spaces. Secure your spot here:?Boshers Dam Fishway Tour?Registration Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about fish migration and the importance of river ecosystems. Bring your friends and family to enjoy a festival-like atmosphere at Ancarrow’s Landing or dive deeper into the science behind fish migration with a guided tour of the Boshers Dam fishway. Special thanks to Resource Environmental Solutions LLC, James River Association, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Virginia Outside, American Rivers, and Rappahannock Adventures for sponsoring and supporting this event. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gQZW23Yi. #WorldFishMigrationDay #RichmondVA #JamesRiver #FishPassage?

Happy Earth Day!?The first Earth Day was in 1970, over 50 years later there are now events coordinated by 193 countries and over 1 billion people!?Looking for an event near you??Visit Earthday.org for a list of global Earth Day events.?Let’s celebrate what we do every day, protecting our resources for a better planet and future.

World Fish Migration Day is a global awareness campaign celebrated every two years to highlight the connections that migratory fishes have with human and non-human species, lands, and waters. This day is marked by celebrations, events, and action campaigns organized by people around the world to connect fish, rivers, and people. World Fish Migration Foundation is the main organizer of World Fish Migration Day, and the theme for 2024 is Free Flow. Local events are being organized in Richmond, Virginia on May 4th by a local planning team. The festival like event will have booths from multiple entities with fishing activities, art, and information on rivers for all ages. The event is from 10am – 1pm at Ancarrow’s Landing along the James River. There will also be a tour of Bosher’s Dam fish ladder at 3pm. All events are free. Find more about the event on Facebook: https://fb.me/e/3CAHVpJei

The Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD) Educational Foundation supports environmental education programs throughout Virginia. VLWA is proud to announce that the Community and Charitable Outreach committee has approved funding for VASWCD Educational Foundation Youth Conservation Camp 2024 in the amount of $3,000.?This funding allows the Educational Foundation to continue their efforts in sharing the word of conservation with our next generation.

The Community and Charitable Outreach committee has voted to support the Wetlands Watch for their Catch the King program. Every year, across the state of Virginia, Wetlands Watch, in collaboration with our many partners, hosts?the Guiness World Record winning community-science event called Catch the King. During this event, Wetlands Watch invites local volunteers of all ages to collect real-time flood data using our Sea Level Rise phone app during the king tide (when the moon's orbit is closest to the earth and water levels?are highest). The planning and coordination of this event occurs year-round, yet we do not have dedicated grant funding for this program. With support from VLWA, Wetlands Watch can provide advertising, volunteer swag, printing costs and food for trainees. VLWA looks forward to seeing the data results later this year from the Catch the King program!!

Are you a college student studying in the water resources field? If you are a resident of Virginia, you may be eligible to apply for a Virginia Lakes and Watersheds Association Leo Bourassa Scholarship. Applications are due April 1, 2024. See https://lnkd.in/ec37RgFg for more information.

A big thanks to today's speakers! The day began with a welcome message from our conference chair, Stu Stein at GKY, followed by a presentation about Challenges of the Virtual Work Environment. We had a full crowd during lunch to hear Martha Shimkin, Director of the Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) provide updates about the Chesapeake Bay Program and how the program is moving forward.