The middle portion of the James River flows from Lynchburg, Virginia across the Piedmont region to the fall line at Richmond. The watershed stretches north to Charlottesville, Virginia. One-third of all Virginia residents live within the James River watershed and rely on it as a source of drinking water as well as recreation. Historically, the James River has been home to the Powhatan Confederacy as well as some of the earliest English settlements in North America. Richmond, Virginia was spotlighted as the nation’s best river town in 2012 by Outside Magazine. The Middle James watershed encompasses over 6,000 square miles. (Based on the James River Buffer Program, American Rivers, and U.S. Geological Survey.)
