The state's Virginia Water Supply Plan is a start. It assesses water supply conditions and demands across the state through the year 2030, data which localities need to make future water supply decisions. Recent legislation has strengthened the state's ability to assure that enough water is left in rivers to protect water quality, aquatic life, wildlife habitat, recreation and aesthetics. These beneficial uses of instream water have been officially recognized and must be considered in related decision making. Additionally, the Surface Water Management Area Act gives the state the authority to regulate water use during droughts if an area has been specifically designated as having a low flow problem.
River flow is also a critical issue in one other respect.
In the Richmond area, several dams along the James block the free flow of the river and prevent migratory fish, such as shad and stripped bass, from reaching their historical spawning grounds further upstream. A commitment in the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement calls for fish passages on dams. In response, the first two dams on the James have been breached and the others are earmarked for breaching in the future. This is an important first step if fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay are to be restored. The future of the James River depends in part on how the rapid growth of its urban and industrial areas is handled.