The document, by describing the immediate water pollution control action needed in the James River Basin, represents the first step in the development of a comprehensive program to control water pollution in the Basin. A biological study of the upper reaches of the James River and tributaries conducted by Chesapeake Bay-Susquehana River Basin Project comprised a special investigation to supplement sampling data of chemical and biochemical characteristics of water quality. Brief summaries of the biological studies are given, along with summaries of quality data, for most of the areas above Lynchburg, with more detailed descriptions of biological conditions outlined in the Appendix.