Lake James is a 94-acre water body that receives drainage from surrounding residential and commercial areas as well as the Cedar Hill Canal.
Stormwater Management Regulatory Division
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Lake James is valued as both a neighborhood amenity and for its role in stormwater management. A former borrow pit, in 1984 Lake James was established as a stormwater pond that receives runoff and stormwater from the surrounding watershed and Cedar Hill Canal, while also being used by its residents for recreational activities such as fishing and boating. It is in the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River Watershed, which is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
The total area flowing into Lake James is approximately 689 acres, consisting of the Lake James Watershed with an area of 323 acres, and 366 acres contributing to the Cedar Hill Canal. A variety of land uses discharge to the canal, including commercial, residential and industrial.
A portion of the stormwater entering Lake James is treated prior to reaching the lake. This is done through various stormwater management features such as wet ponds, infiltration trenches and underground manufactured treatment devices. For the Lake James Watershed, this treated area is 12% of the watershed, while 6% of the applicable area for the Cedar Hill Canal passes through a water treatment feature before continuing onward to the lake.
In response to algal blooms in the lake, the City performed a water quality monitoring study in 2017 and 2018 to identify sources of pollutants and potential causes. The study showed that Lake James often has excellent water quality but is prone to seasonal algal blooms due to several factors: nutrients from the subdivision and commercial areas, nutrients from the Cedar Hill Canal, and yard runoff.
Due to the depth of the lake, a natural process called stratification may occur, resulting in turnover of the nutrients in the sediment at the lake bottom. Several related links have been provided that illustrate this process in more detail. In addition, the low rate of flushing and tranquil water conditions of the lake are characteristics that can also favor algal blooms.
A water quality monitoring report was completed by Public Works in April 2018 to help inform and develop public and private strategies to manage local water quality, including the placement of projects to generate the most impact.
The City is working to identify projects within the Lake James Watershed that will reduce nutrients and improve water quality not only in the lake, but also in the Elizabeth River and Chesapeake Bay. These reductions are focused on phosphorus, nitrogen, sediment, and bacteria in stormwater runoff within the watershed.
