It was a big Saturday on the James River as volunteers and James River Park staffers continued to make improvements all around the park.

More than 50 people from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Friends of James River Park volunteered at Pony Pasture, removing invasive species and planting Virginia bluebells and Dutchman’s breeches. The James was lapping at the top steps of the takeout at Pony Pasture, but the interior of the park was not affected.

There were plenty onlookers watching kayakers brave the huge waves and surfing at Z-Dam. Riverside Drive was packed. 

Down at Reedy Creek takeout, the water was too high to continue preparing the ramp for this week’s scheduled concrete pouring, but park staffers continued to prepare the takeout by moving granite boulders to protect and beautiful the upper area. Plenty of kayakers continued to jump into the James to take on the lower run past Hollywood Rapids and Pipeline down to 14th Street.

Although I didn’t get to check in on them, volunteers with the mountain bike trail building group Richmond MORE continued to work down at Belle Isle, making some upgrades to the Lost Trail.