Author: Tree Hugger (Page 8 of 12)

Shad “on the brink of collapse”

March 4, 2022 / Tree Hugger

The CEO of the James River Association warned in November that shad — “America’s founding fish” — is on the brink of collapse on the James River.

Reasons for the stark decline include not just overfishing and dams blocking the fish from their spawning grounds but also poor water quality and high sediment loads from stormwater runoff. High sedimentation blocks sunlight from reaching aquatic grasses that serve as habitat for fish and other aquatic wildlife, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. For shad, especially, these grasses help shelter young shad from predators.

A number of large solar projects are projected for the James River basin, including a 2,000-acre project that lies 1/2 mile from the James itself and

2 March highlights

March 3, 2022 / Tree Hugger

In addition to new posts with links to published articles, we’ve added the following pages and resources to the website:

A new Video page with links to videos on the website
A video webinar on stormwater and erosion on construction sites (including solar projects), and the Virginia laws governing them
A map of the Chesapeake Bay watershed showing the number of acres proposed for utility-scale solar projects

More study of solar project urged

March 2, 2022 / Tree Hugger

Buckingham County just voted to approve a Special Use Permit for a utility-scale solar project on 2,000 acres owned by the Weyerhaeuser company, which currently uses that land as a tree farm. The project is slated to produce 149.5 MW of energy, which is 0.5 MW under the threshold set by the General Assembly for more rigorous review by the State Corporation Commission.

The land intended for the project is within the James River watershed, which itself is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Concerned residents have pointed out that massive stormwater runoff problems have plagued other solar projects in the state, including one in Louisa County. The Daily Progress published this opinion-editorial last week, urging the Board of Supervisors to slow down the review process so that all aspects of the projects can be reviewed carefully.

Shad “on the brink of collapse”

2 March highlights

More study of solar project urged

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