The State of the York Watershed System

Paddling in the York River Watershed.

The Chesapeake Bay Reserve in Virginia put stakeholders first in its user-forward resource for watershed resilience.

Thanks to Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Reserve, communities in the York Watershed System have a new resource to inform growth, and it couldn’t come at a more critical time. The State of the York Watershed System report is a comprehensive, community-driven look at one of the state’s most ecologically significant and fastest-growing regions.

The watershed is home to more 630,000 people and that number is predicted to grow. Between 2000 and 2020 alone, the watershed added more than 170,000 residents and 76,000 housing units—figures that pre-date a post-covid influx. While population has risen and the System remains 75% natural, the impact the development to-date is making far exceeds its actual footprint, and is exacerbated by precipitation, flooding, increasing temperatures—all of which weaken community resilience.

“People across the region wanted to understand what’s happening to their rivers and their resources—the same waters that support local businesses, recreation, and treasured ecosystems,” says Cirse Gonzalez, the Reserve’s training and engagement program coordinator. “That’s why we created this report, so they have information to grow smart and safe, and to keep what’s important while continuing to prosper.”

According to Gonzalez, the report did far more than deliver data and science, it created a space for people across the region to dialog. With a grant from the NERRS Science Collaborative, the Reserve brought together more 160 scientists, educators, agency leaders, and community members.

“The release of this report represents a huge feat for so many people involved,” says Gonzalez. “Adhering to a co-productive process while synthesizing data from disparate sources in time and place, on countless topics (and maintaining accuracy to boot!) took time—a little more than three years in the making. But we’re proud of the process and the result, which we know will be used to inform and inspire.”

The result was a report that now serves as a launchpad for further exploration, offering case studies, tool features, fast facts, “did you know?” insights to further understanding of the System and impacts to it, and clear calls to action to support future study and collaboration. Collectively, these elements create a concise framework for continued learning and development. Unlike a typical ecosystem assessment, the report avoids handing out a grade. “The community didn’t want a report card,” Gonzalez explains. “They wanted awareness, connection, and direction.”The report highlights local solutions already underway, including living shorelines and oyster restoration and lays the groundwork for a public engagement campaign called DROP: 1) Deepen your understanding of the issues, 2) Recreate responsibly, in, and on, our shared waters, 3) Opt-in to conscious consumption, and 4) Participate in community efforts.

“The report is such a valuable tool to be able to engage community members and empower them to become stewards of their environment,” says Robyn Woolsey, senior conservation specialist at the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District. “Learning about all of the incredible work being done across the diverse landscapes within the watershed helps to inspire us all to do our part.”

“The report is a tremendous asset to the community of the York River Watershed,” says Audrey Mitchell, president of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers Association. “It gives the association the current and very relevant information to advocate for our rivers. Population growth, water quality studies, and conditions of our fragile shorelines are important narratives to our organization as we advocate for our precious rivers.”

“This is exactly what the Coastal Training Program was designed to do: create a bridge between science and the people who need it to make decisions,” says Rebecca Roth, executive director of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA). “Because Reserves are interconnected, they can bring the collective knowledge, data, and skills of a national network to support local communities thereby increasing the reach and impact of local program funding.”

👉 Explore the report and tools at yorkriverroundtable.org/soty.