As I begin to think more about how the city of Richmond relates to the James river, I can’t help but make comparisons between my hometown of Austin, Texas. The city of Austin is split by the Colorado River. As the river crosses through central Texas, dams turn the river into a series of large lakes. Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, Lake Marble falls, Lake Travis, Lake Austin, and Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) wind their way into metropolitan Austin. These large lakes (up to 30 square miles) support year round recreation for people including fishing, boating, swimming and kayaking, as well as some (but not all) drinking water. Downtown Austin hugs Lady Bird Lake, and provides beautiful vistas. Surrounding the downtown section of the river is a large park for all kinds of recreation and acts as a buffer between the lake and the developed city.
However, many differences between Austin and Richmond are obvious. The James River is certainly more natural than the Colorado. Unlike the James, the Colorado is consistently dammed. The James has a pretty natural flow. If it the dams were not there, the Colorado would be much less significant and less utilized for human use. It is hard to say which is better. Additionally, the historical reliance on the James is much more significant than the Colorado. In its infancy, the James was the heart of Richmond. I cannot say the same of Austin.
Currently, another significant difference occurs between the two watersheds: rain. Central Texas is currently in a severe drought. The lakes are significantly below normal level, and has caused other significant problems for ranching, farming and ecosystems.
Is Austin a river city? Technically the lakes are part of a river, but they are definitely viewed as lakes. I would call Austin a river city. The river provides an excellent source of recreation and keeps Austin Beautiful.
Bonus points for anyone who can name who the statue is of!
News about drought: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/lcra-discusses-issues-facing-central-tx