The James River flows nearly 100 miles from Webster County into Table Rock Lake. The James River watershed consists of almost a million acres of land and touches eight counties. During the 1990’s a major algae bloom occurred in the James River arm of Table Rock Lake. It caused a disruption in the local ecology, harmed tourism, and affected local health. This is when the water quality in the river began to decline.
Over the years, the river has accumulated trash along its banks and some sewage treatment facilities are allowed to discharge their waste into the streams. This harms wildlife, water quality, and community health.
The James River Basin Partnership (JRBP) is driven to combat these problems. They are an organization that works to improve and protect the water quality of the springs, streams, rivers, and lakes in the James River watershed. The JRBP hosts several functions throughout the year to help educate and spread awareness within the local community.
Their longest running annual event is the River Rescue. The event has been held every June for the last 20 years. The River Rescue brings passionate volunteers together for a day filled with a little mud, dirt, and water, all to help clean the James River. In 2017, the volunteers removed 3,260 pounds of trash from the river including single-use plastics, metal, tires, televisions, furniture, appliances, lost toys, and mattresses.
The annual River Rescue was a favorite of Larry Martin. He was a passionate advocate for clean Missouri waterways. Martin shared this passion with his two children, Lane Martin and Allie Bridges.
“Even as a young boy, our dad was always drawn to the beauty and tranquility of Missouri’s natural waterways,” says Martin’s daughter, Allie. “When we were children, our father took us floating and taught us the trees and natural grasses that lined the banks, the species of crawdads and bass that swam in the rivers, and the importance of keeping our water sources clean and safe.”
When Martin discovered the James River Basin Partnership, he had found a group of people that cared as much about the river as he did. In 2003, Martin joined their Board of Directors, and later served as the Board President from 2012 to 2015. The River Rescue event grew and changed over the years because of Martin’s influence and now includes a fundraising dinner called Sunset Soiree, that is held on the Finley River Bridge.
Sadly in September of 2017, Larry Martin passed away in a highway accident in Wyoming.
One of Martin’s former co-workers, Tiffany Frey, is the executive director of James River Basin Partnership. “Larry was truly the most passionate water protector I’ve known,” recalls Frey. “He lived and breathed it. He was one of those people you could always rely on to be there.”
As the time approaches for the next River Rescue, members of the JRBP remember the impact Martin had on the James River. The River Rescue will be different without him, but it will be continue with him in mind. Angela Jenkins, who worked with Martin, was inspired by his compassion and dedication.
“Watching him day in and day out pouring his heart into influencing challenging issues through his work with the City and JRBP has left us all feeling we could do more,” says Jenkins.
The River Rescue lives on and so does the memory of Larry Martin through the work of his family and the James River Basin Partnership.
