By Rae Alberts
Correspondent
Correction to the Sept. 12 column: Lake Monticello is home to five species of game fish: bluegill, largemouth bass, white perch, redear sunfish, and gizzard shad. It is only open for fishing to Lake Monticello residents who have a fishing license. For members who have a license but no boat, try Tufton Pond, also managed by the LMOA.
Lake Monticello is fed by the Rivanna River, making it a part of the James River watershed. The James River watershed, also called a drainage basin, is essentially an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point. In this case, it is the James River, which starts in the Appalachians and winds 348 miles through Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay. The James River basin catches waterflow from 10,432 square miles of land, from Iron Gate all the way into the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton Roads.
The James River is also home to part of our national defense! The James River Reserve Fleet, known as a “ghost fleet,” is part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, and is the oldest fleet still in use today. It opened in 1919.
In the beginning, there were 300 ships in the James River Fleet. All 300 of these ships were put into service at the beginning of World War II, and the current reserve was opened in 1946 to store the surplus ships after the war. Some of these were reactivated for the Korean and Vietnam wars, while a few others were used in the 600-Ship Navy program.
In the 1950s, the James Reserve had over 800 ships. Many of them were WWII Liberty and Victory ships. Some of these were used by the United States Department of Agriculture for surplus grain storage in the ships’ cargo holds.
As of May 2024, however, only eight ships remain in the James River fleet.
These ships are currently mothballed, but can be used if the need arises. However, many are awaiting the scrapyard due to age and poor conditions. Some of the previous ships were used for target practice or as artificial reefs, while others became museum ships or were sold to private companies.
Right now, the Invincible, a passenger ship, is on Interim hold in the reserve, and the Flickertail State, a crane ship, is used in logistics support. Cape Ann and Cape Avinof, break bulk ships, are in training use. Four ships are currently waiting disposal: Maj. Stephen W Pless, PFC Eugene A. Obregon, Sgt. Matej Kocak, and Walter S. Diehl.
