Representatives of the Monacan Nation took their case against the James River Water Project directly to their opponents on Tuesday, demanding that the pipeline be moved from the former site of the tribe’s capital city.
The Monacans’ chief, Kenneth Branham, the tribe’s attorney and several supporters addressed the James River Water Authority during its regular meeting at Spring Creek subdivision in Zion Crossroads.
Among the Monacans’ charges are that the water authority failed to consult the tribe before choosing the site for a pump station near the confluence of the Rivanna and James rivers in Fluvanna County. John Smith, the colonial explorer, wrote about Rassawek, the Monacans’ city, in the early 17th century and located it on a map, though the exact location is not certain.
The authority’s plan is to pump water from the James north to Ferncliff, where it will be treated and then used by customers in Zion Crossroads and other parts of Louisa County. The United States Army Corps of Engineers must issue a permit before construction can begin on the pump station.
“You did not begin meeting with the tribe until 2017, a year after you had purchased the land to build the pump station,” Marion Werkheiser, the Monacans’ attorney, said. “To pretend now you were surprised by their objection is disingenuous.”
Read the entire article at the Central Virginian.