The James River is a major natural feature in an area of Virginia that attracts new residents and businesses each year. To protect the river as new housing and commercial developments are constructed, the James River Association has organized this collaborative study to launch Building a Cleaner James River. The project will initiate a dialogue among local governments, universities, conservation organizations and developers to reduce water pollution impacts by encouraging environmentally friendly development practices and codes.

Each of the three universities has implemented a class for the spring semester to analyze the codes, practices and policies of 31 counties within the James River Basin. Students are working with professors with expertise in watershed management or land use planning to analyze each locality. Eighteen Virginia Tech students in environmental policy and planning, biological systems engineering, agricultural and applied economics, environmental science, fisheries, and geography are involved in the class project. Professors Darrell Bosch and Jim Pease from agricultural and applied economics, Mary Leigh Wolfe from biological systems engineering, and Tamim Younos from the Water Center are also participating in the study. The combined results from the three universities will be shared at a watershed-wide symposium that will take place at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel on Friday, April 21. Local, state and federal government officials, developers and the general public will be invited to participate in the event.

"This is the first time that our three universities have collaborated on a shared class project. We are very excited about this unique partnership and the benefits it will provide not only to students, but also to Virginia's localities and the James River," said Randolph.

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