Celebrate James River Week with a 'Great Return' sturgeon viewing

The James River Association will once again provide a unique way to celebrate James River Week by offering a series of sturgeon viewing trips, allowing the public an opportunity to get on the water and learn about the Atlantic sturgeon, specifically in relation to the James River.

Beginning Sept. 15 and continuing through Sept. 18, JRA staff members will host several outings on the Spirit of the James, JRA’s pontoon boat, as well as a number of guided canoe trips.  Participants will enjoy an educational voyage, learning about the natural resources of the James River and the endangered Atlantic sturgeon, which make an annual spawning migration up the James River in late summer when they can be seen breaching.

“If you aren’t familiar with the story of the endangered Atlantic sturgeon, there’s no better time to join JRA for an outing on the Spirit of the James or a guided canoe trip to discover this amazing fish,” said Justin Doyle, community conservation manager of the James River Association.

Capable of growing up to 14 feet in length, weighing 800 pounds, and living 60 years, Atlantic sturgeon spend their adult years in the Atlantic Ocean. Every spring and fall, they return to spawn in the rivers where they were born.

Commercial harvesting decimated the Atlantic sturgeon population in the late 1800s, and continued threats to the Atlantic sturgeon’s recovery include ship strikes, by-catch in commercial fisheries, water withdrawals from rivers and sediment pollution that harms spawning habitat.

Pontoon boat tickets cost $25 per participant and canoe tickets cost $20 per participant, with proceeds benefiting JRA.

For details and to sign up for an upcoming trip, visit http://thejamesriver.org/whats-happening/connect-with-the-james/#thegreatreturn.