Outdoors
Herons and More on the Pipeline
Taken over a couple of mornings this week.
The Pipeline is one of my favorite spots in Richmond. I tend to hit on weekday mornings as evenings and weekends it can get crowded. This week the Great Blue Herons have been gathering to feast on the fish. The heron have been the stars of the show but you’ll find plenty of other things to check out.
Duck vs Heron – Heron won put it was a battle.
Prothonotary Warbler
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Events
Ukrop’s Monument 10K Shows Off this Year’s Shirt
If your New Year’s resolutions included running in the Ukrop’s 10K today would be a good day to register.
Your first look at the 2022 Ukrop’s participant shirt, designed by Hamilton Glass. Register here to get yours. The price goes up tomorrow January 4th so don’t hesitate if you want to save a few bucks.
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News
RVAH2O Now Giving the People the Straight Poop on Sewer Overflows
This real-time technology and data makes Richmond’s the first “Smart Sewers” in Virginia.
Full credit to Whit Clements for giving me that headline of this announcement from RVAH2O.
Big Update (and Upgrade!) for Combined Sewer System Overflow Events in Richmond! 📣
Real-time data is now viewable in an interactive map that looks just like the one above so you can know exactly where and when overflows occur (and plan your James River visits accordingly!).
(The map is linked in perpetuity in our bio as “Check for Combined Sewer System Overflow Events Here” but you can also bookmark the link for rainy days!)
Here’s how it works: just hover over (or, on your phone, click on) any of the remaining 25 overflow points in Richmond to see the last time combined flows were discharged—and just like that you’ll be up-to-date!
Red triangles give you a quick notification that there’s been an overflow event in the past 48 hours. 🔺
When you see yellow boxes, that means our team is recalibrating those sensors and meters. 🟨
This up-to-date system will replace the email alerts of the past (which were triggered and automated when it rained 0.1″ at the @richmondairport, which doesn’t always reflect rainfall within city limits).
This new map uses:
- meters at each outfall to quantify flows
- rain gauges in Richmond
- real-time data that’s updated continuously!
This real-time technology and data makes Richmond’s the first “Smart Sewers” in Virginia (we love being trendsetters)! 🧠🌊
And this system will help us to maximize and fully utilize the capacity within our system to prevent overflows and reduce overflow volume!
We know y’all love accurate information and continuous updates, so we hope you’ll love this upgrade and map made for you too!
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Outdoors
Help the James River this Saturday for the Regional Cleanup Day
The James River always needs a little help. This Saturday it will hopefully get a lot of help from volunteers.
Join the James River Advisory Council in its 22nd year of cleaning up the James River and its shorelines! The cleanup is a cooperative, regional event spanning more than 75 miles of the James River at 13 sites. Walkers, powerboats, paddle craft, and hikers will participate in a limited capacity, social distancing. We hope to see you at one of our various sites throughout the watershed! Volunteers will need to register!
Please remember to dress comfortably (closed toe shoes) bring gloves, masks, trash bags, grabbers, water, insect repellent, sunscreen, and hat (optional).
Some of the localish sites include:
Chesterfield County
- Dutch Gap Boat Landing and Conservation Area
- Falling Creek Ironworks Park
- Falling Creek Reservoir
City of Petersburg
- Lakemont Neighborhood
- Pocahontas Island
City of Richmond
- Ancarrows Landing
- Belle Isle
- Brookland Park Boulevard
- Pony Pasture Rapids
Goochland County
- Tucker Park at Maiden’s Landing
Henrico County
- Osborne Park and Boat Landing