The Sweep
November 2026
Welcome to The Sweep, a new monthly publication from the VCNS, keeping us connected between trips, festivals, and gatherings.
For our first issue, we’re starting with people making a difference on the James. We also have news of a historical mapping project, an appreciation of a longtime volunteer, and work underway to make membership easier to manage. Whether you’re here for the boats, the history, or the people, we’re glad you’re part of the conversation.
A New Era for Membership
We’re launching a new chapter for VCNS membership, with easier ways to join and renew and more opportunities to stay connected throughout the year. The Sweep is part of that effort: a regular window into our river community, the society’s work, and the history preserved in our publications.
Our new membership portal lets you join or renew online, update your contact information, and check your membership status. Current members will keep their existing paid-through dates, and online renewal will include the option of automatic annual payments.
Whether your connection to VCNS began with canals, historical research, or a week aboard a batteau, we hope you’ll make membership part of your ongoing relationship with the society. Your support helps us publish and share Virginia’s navigation history and keep the knowledge, stories, and traditions of our river community in circulation. Visit the new membership portal to get started, and contact memberships@vacanals.org if you need help.
Return of the Tireless James
Batteaux crew, kayakers, and canoeists joined a tire-removal effort around Scottsville this year, taking a substantial load out of the river. In his report to the October VCNS board meeting, Dan Tucker put the total at approximately 2,500 to 3,000 pounds of tires and rims.
The first two miles downriver from Scottsville yielded the most tires, with another stretch appearing beyond Seven Islands. Getting tires out of the water is only part of the job: arranging their disposal also takes planning.
Dan would like to build on this year’s effort with a recurring Labor Day cleanup that brings local river people together. That remains a proposal, but it offers a practical way to carry the energy of the batteau community beyond festival week.
For VCNS, it’s a welcome example of how time spent on the river can lead to work that benefits it. Thank you Dan for taking the lead and to everyone who helped with the collection, hauling, and arrangements behind the scenes.
Helping bring the Maury River into Focus
VCNS is contributing to the Maury River Digital Map Project, currently underway at Washington and Lee University Library.
The Maury River History Map is an interactive online guide to the river’s history, connecting historic photographs and maps with places along the Chessie Trail and Buena Vista River Walk. Created by Washington and Lee University Library in partnership with VCNS and the Rockbridge Outdoors Coalition, it helps visitors understand the canals, locks, mills, and railroads whose remains can still be seen today. Drawing extensively on VCNS’s Maury River Atlas, it offers a new way to explore the history behind a familiar stretch of river.
Thank You Beverly Hill!
At the October VCNS meeting, the board recognized Beverly Hill for her long service as VCNS secretary and her contribution to the society’s mission. Keeping the record of an organization is steady work, much of it happening outside the spotlight. We’re grateful to Beverly for the time and care she has given VCNS over the years.
From the past, The Tiller Vol.22, Issue 4
Alongside news from today’s river community, The Sweep will revisit writing from The Tiller. These selections give longtime readers a chance to rediscover a story and introduce newer readers to the history in the society’s publications.