Keeper of the James
By Jennifer Schmidt
His job demands a certain level of flexibility - a high one. Not only does his office change locations on a daily basis, but his activities vary immensely. On Monday his wardrobe might be a suit and tie, while on Thursday he might don boots for a trek out to a tiny creek in an obscure area of southwest Virginia.
His name? David Sligh. His occupation? Riverkeeper of the Upper James River.
Not only is Sligh responsible for a huge territory in his work with the James River Association (JRA), he's also inherited the inevitable "What's a Riverkeeper?" inquiries. While some might conjure up images of an ancient, gray-bearded man who ventures into civilization once in a blue moon, Sligh is clean-shaven and highly active throughout the southwest Virginia region. His is the career of a modern renaissance man - working and weaving among the various sectors of society and always with one main goal in mind - to foster the health of the James.
His obsession is the River - what affects it, how it influences the environment, and how to involve Virginians in the process. Such concerns move him cyclically from an office to the banks of countless tributaries along the Upper James.
"I divide my job into three different areas," Sligh commented as he chuckled under his breath. "Helps me keep it organized a bit."
One of those primary areas is communication with others who are concerned about the River as well. Such a group encompasses a wide variety of people like activists, volunteers and government officials on state and local levels.
"Knowing the fishermen, the rural canoeist - that's a vital information source and ally for us to do our job. [JRA] has some perspective on statewide issues, and they know things about their backyard that I might not know. As JRA, we need them to know we're there and prepared to work with them," Sligh explained.
Working in conjunction with local watershed groups and the Greater Lynchburg Environmental Network has kept Sligh up-to-date on issues currently affecting the James in Lynchburg.
"Lynchburg has a lot of stream miles right around here that are listed as degraded or impaired due to sewer problems," Sligh said, specifically referencing Blackwater and Ivy Creeks.
With the building of some of Lynchburg's older sewer systems, there was no differentiation made between private sewer and runoff pipe lines. Now, such a combination has caused the runoff to increase as the city has grown.
"Those pipes can't handle all of that runoff in big rain storms," Sligh says. "About 10 years ago, there were 132 places around Lynchburg where there was overflow during heavy storms. Industrial waste and sewage went right into the streams."
But in recent years, Lynchburg has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into separating storm sewers from the older pipes. Now, fewer than 40 sites remain that need such correction.
"I was very impressed that they have made that much progress at this point," Sligh said of Lynchburg, adding, "It gets harder to finish it as you face the harder situations."
The motivation for restoring the James to full health is not only for the good of the environment, but for the enjoyment of the public as well.
"We want people to be familiar with the creeks and to enjoy them and know how to use them. When you're divorced from natural streams, you don't have the impetus to protect them," Sligh stated.
Increasing community involvement with the James is a source of excitement for Sligh, who believes he has seen a growth in Lynchburg's concern for the James in recent years.
"Lynchburg seems to embrace the River a lot more than they did years ago," Sligh commented. "Amazement Square, with its model of the River...those things stick with kids, and they say, 'We're part of this'."
Sligh also appreciates the work of Lynchburg's City Manager, and recent efforts in the city to build rain gardens, which are composed of plants that act as natural sponges to collect and retain water, thus slowing hazardous runoff from rainfall.
"These are big advancements. We need to keep going in that direction," he said.
As for his territory, Sligh's work encompasses a region well beyond the bounds of Lynchburg. It stretches over 7,000 square miles and into almost 20 different counties. Not only does he work with the people of his region, but he spends time on the River every week.
"I spend time just seeing the water bodies," Sligh explained. "That's a basic tenet in the tradition - you know your water body. You're out there. A lot of organizations, they just sit in the office, and I do that too. But I spend a lot of time out on the water."
Such a hands-on, boots-in-the-mud approach keeps Sligh abreast of countless issues.
"Whether I'm in the john boat, the canoe, or wading, I want to see as many areas as possible, to do sampling, scientific measurements, to find specific problems, and to respond to complaints," Sligh clarified.
One situation Sligh consistently monitors is a rash of lesion-plagued fish. Early signs were spotted three years ago, and Sligh is still puzzling over the source of the fungal infections and rotted fins he has seen.
"When you have a fish kill, there's a whole bunch dying in one place, and you're able to go up stream and find something," Sligh said. "But, for right now, we haven't pinpointed any particular thing. The system as a whole is out of whack somehow."
The reasons for such an imbalance could be innumerable. Whether runoff from a construction site or a contaminated landfill is poisoning the river or whether there is a more complex and hidden villain, Sligh is studying ecosystems on, near and off the river at all times.
The third aspect of Sligh's job is to monitor regulations on activities that affect the River and ensuring that laws are being followed consistently and accurately. When the regulations need to be strengthened or upheld, Sligh sometimes takes concerns before state committees, thus seeking solutions on more than one plane.
"Sometimes science isn't enough," he said as he explained why he chose to pursue a law degree after earning a bachelor's of science degree.
Working on the legal side of matters is a benefit that Sligh enjoys as Riverkeeper. Once he notices a problem that needs to be addressed, he can compose an argument and take it personally to the hearing board rather than hope the right person adopts the cause.
"That makes it the perfect job," Sligh said. "I've always wanted to do that; combine those two aspects because I have an additional perspective."
While his qualifications are unique in the tradition of Riverkeepers, Sligh humbly dismisses the notion that he is better qualified for the job with his "one-two" combination of science and law.
"A lot of the other Riverkeepers have different pieces in their backgrounds and experiences," he noted. "The Shenandoah Riverkeeper was a fishing guide for a number of years and brings a depth of knowledge from being out there. He looks at fish every day.
Sligh also mentions a "colleague on the lower James who ... maintains a commercial fishing license."
The Riverkeepers are a diverse force with many unique talents. And, in Sligh's estimation, "The more of those different abilities we have, the more the variety, the better we can fill needs."
Throughout his dialogue about the James, Sligh continually references a belief in a holistic approach.
"All of the land and communities in the northwest, all of that affects the River and is part of our area," he said. "So Lynchburg has a big connection to all the people upstream . . . it's part of a larger thing."
In efforts to promote community involvement with the River, JRA has planned and is currently promoting numerous events meant to engage and entertain the public. One will be a restoration project held over the course of a week in the fall. Main activities will include planting trees to restore a natural buffer for streams, building rain gardens and distributing rain barrels.
"It's a very exciting, intensive project, and gives people an idea of how to do these things and still get a good amount of work done," Sligh explained.
As citizens go about their daily lives, Sligh encourages them to always keep a watchful eye.
"When you cross a bridge, look at the stream. Is it clear? If not, that's something to work on," he said.
With such a large area to manage, Sligh relies on "citizen volunteers" to help him maintain the health of the James. And with a collective effort, he believes the functionality and beauty of the River will only expand with time.
"We have a real distinctive, distinguished, notable natural system, and this area is one of the most biologically advanced systems in the world," Sligh said. "You cannot divorce the land from the water. It's impossible to consider one without the other, and no matter how far you happen to be from a stream at any one moment, you considerably affect it."
For more information about JRA, visit www.jamesriverassociation.org or call 804-788-8811.
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