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Flood Watch for Cheat River at Rowlesburg, WV
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 13 Apr '18

13 Apr '18

1053 AM EDT Fri Apr 13 2018 The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a * Flood Watch for The Cheat River At Rowlesburg * from Monday afternoon to late Monday night. * There is no current observed data. * Minor flooding is possible. * Flood stage is 16.0 feet. * Forecast...Flood stage may be reached by Monday early afternoon. $$ Sent from my iPad

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WV MetroNews – “I thought she was dead” says man and brother who helped rescue woman from Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 11 Apr '18

11 Apr '18

http://wvmetronews.com/2018/04/09/i-thought-she-was-dead-says-man-and-broth… “I thought she was dead” says man and brother who helped rescue woman from Cheat Lake This car went over the guard rail from Cheat road and rolled about 40 yards and ended up on its top in the Cheat River Monday. Rescue workers are seen here ready to rescue the woman, to be transported across the lake to be taken to a area hospital. she sits at right on the rock. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two brothers were traveling behind a woman who’s green Suburau Forrester was suddenly skyward, over a cliff, and sinking into Cheat Lake. Their presence might have saved her life. “She was in front of us,” Eddie Emery said. “She flew up in the air. We thought we saw something, and I pulled in and just jumped over the cliff and went after her.” Eddie and his brother Andrew were traveling behind the woman in the Cheat Road area when they saw the accident. “We stopped the work truck, got out of the work truck, went over the cliff, seen if anybody needed help, if anybody was alive,” he said. “We got halfway down the cliff before we could even hear her voice. She was crying out for help.” The woman was attempting to escape her vehicle, which eventually did fully go into Cheat Lake, when the Emery brothers arrived. First responders are still cleaning up the scene following a successful rescue Monday afternoon. “We got down to the water edge as she was getting out of her car,” Andrew Emery said. “We helped her to a safe rock to sit down. We took our jackets off, gave her our warm jackets to try and keep her warm.” “We sat down and waited with her until emergency response came. Then we waited for the emergency boat where we got her to the ambulance across the lake.” Police haven’t identified her other than as a 70-year-old woman from Fairmont. “I’m just amazed that she’s okay,” Eddie Emery said. “She was probably at 40 or 50 miles per hour, went head first into the lake. I thought she was dead. I’m just amazed she’s alive.” The accident call came in shortly before 1 p.m. Monday.

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Flooding Forces Road Closures, Early Dismissals Throughout Area « CBS Pittsburgh
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 04 Apr '18

04 Apr '18

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/04/03/fayette-greene-counties-flooded/ Sent from my iPad

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Lake Lynn Hydro Project - Recreation Plan Update Letter of Support.pdf
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 28 Mar '18

28 Mar '18

Mr. David H. Fox, Director Environmental & Dam Safety Cube Hydro Partners 2 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 1330 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Dear Mr. Fox: We appreciate this opportunity to provide input to the Recreation Plan Update for the Lake Lynn Hydro Project, known more commonly in Monongalia County as Cheat Lake. This recreation area is well known regionally and is quite popular for boating, fishing and more recently swimming at the Mill Stone Point Beach. Hiking and biking on the Cheat Lake Trail have been growing in popularity since that Trail was opened in the Year 2000. As you know, the Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association (CLEAR) has been active in promoting recreation, safety and environmental protection for the past 25 years. Our Monongalia County Commission has supported many of these activities over the years. Regarding the plans in the 2018 Recreation Plan Update, we support CLEAR is seeking to achieve a recreation presence in the form of one or more persons trained in recreation activities to host visitors and provide information and assistance as appropriate for hiking, biking, and swimming, as well as usage of the boat docks and picnic facilities. These activities can substitute for some of the security guard activities which you have addressed in the draft report as no longer needed. You are also proposing to suspend three year recreation review updates given the upcoming six-year re-licensing review. Along with CLEAR, we would favor a brief annual review to be shared among all interested parties so that any concerns can be made known and addressed relatively quickly. This would also provide an opportunity to learn of your success and progress in a timely manner. We want to join CLEAR in recognizing the fine job that your company has been doing in providing recreational opportunities regionally and for providing a valuable electrical supply at 54 megawatts. You may know that the Monongahela River Trail is being extended into Pennsylvania, so the opportunity to connect this extension to the Cheat Lake Trail may well become a reality within a few years. Thank you for this opportunity to provide input to the 2018 Recreation Plan Update. Sincerely yours, Monongalia County Commissioners. cc: Mon County Sheriff, Mon County Planner, WV-DNR.

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No Known Sharks in Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 11 Feb '18

11 Feb '18

Sent via Don Strimbeck: URL: http://app.dominionpost.com/morgantown/books/dpostsunday/2018/20180211dpost… DOMINION POST Sports page 6-B 11 JAN 18 There aren’t any sharks in Cheat Lake ... or are there? We know that the warmer temperatures we’ve experienced in recent years changed the timing of various things. Flowers bloom earlier. Insect hatches are earlier. Fruits ripen earlier. Of course, all these things affect wildlife. Birds that nested to coincide with good food supplies now find that their timing is off. Some species have made adjustments, but some have not. Fish also are affected. Ocean fishes are now found farther north because their food supply is now farther north. For one reason or another, we’re now finding that at least three species of sharks that normally live in the ocean are invading freshwater. Maybe it’s due to water temperature, maybe not, but here are two examples of sharks that have moved into fresh water. Bull sharks can grow to seven feet and can be found along the ocean coasts and in bays and harbors. However, in recent years, they’ve been spotted in fresh water. In fact, they’ve been known to travel from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River to Illinois. The speartooth shark is another shark that has adapted to live in salt and fresh water. But the one that intrigues me the most is the spiny dogfish shark. Males mature at 11 years of age when they are about 3 feet in length. They are a food source in parts of Europe and there is a push to make them a food source here, as well. This is especially true in the Cape Cod region. If you dissected a fish in a high school or college science class, it was probably a spiny dogfish. Not very tasty in formaldehyde, but apparently not bad eating when prepared properly. Once the most abundant shark species in the world, their numbers have declined significantly, especially in the North Atlantic and across Europe, where their demand as food has rocketed. However, the reason this species intrigues me is because they can survive in fresh water. When the Ohio River recently receded after a major flood, one dogfish shark was found on a boat ramp in Illinois. When I heard a rumor last fall that a fisherman spotted one in Cheat Lake, I didn’t think much about it. A joke. A misidentification. But, now we know that one lived in the Ohio River. Makes one wonder what other sharks might be about. Obviously, a shark didn’t swim all the way up the Ohio then down the Monongahela River, and somehow got past the dam on the Cheat River at Point Marion. But what if someone caught one in the ocean and brought it alive to Cheat Lake and released it? Normally, that would not be a big deal, except that the Polar Plunge is coming up next Saturday at the docks near Crab Shack Caribba, on Cheat Lake. A shark probably wouldn’t bother one swimmer in Cheat Lake, but on Saturday there will be a bunch of swimmers in the lake raising money for a great cause. You might want to stop out there. Never know what you might see. And while you’re thinking about that, you can go the polar plunge website (sowv.org/), and make a donation for Special Olympics. My Rotary Club has three members who will be diving into those cold waters to raise money. Might they be in any danger? Might there be a shark in those waters? Naw. Don’t you believe it. Can’t happen. Yet again, there was one seen in Illinois. Hmmm

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Fwd: GREEN Legislative Update, Volume 28 Issue 2
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 19 Jan '18

19 Jan '18

Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: "WVEC" <info(a)wvecouncil.org> > Date: January 19, 2018 at 7:31:16 PM EST > To: Duane Nichols Nichols <duane330(a)aol.com> > Subject: GREEN Legislative Update, Volume 28 Issue 2 > Reply-To: "WVEC" <info(a)wvecouncil.org> > > > > West Virginia Environmental Council > GREEN Legislative Update > > Jan 19, 2018 View / Comment Online > > SOS Parks- Save our State Parks > Karan Ireland > The big news this week out of the Capitol is trees! Secretary of Commerce Woody Thrasher has outlined a plan to allow logging in state parks. Bills requested by the Governor to codify this plan have been introduced on both sides in the past week: SB 270 and HB 4182. Click here or on image to read more. > Tagged: Logging > Proposed Changes to Surface Mining Rule > Karan Ireland > As the first full week of the legislative session comes to a close, we here at the Environmental Council have been keeping our eyes on several DEP rules and bills related to water quality. Click here or on image to read more. > Tagged: DEP, Reclamation, Water > The Citizen Lobbyists > Crystal Good > Rumor has it that the Governor’s Office has been inundated with citizens like you calling to say NO to Bill SB270. SB 270 was initiated by Governor Justice’s Office and seeks to lift the 80-year-old moratorium on timbering State Parks. Click here or on image to read more. > Tagged: Legislation, Logging > West Virginia Environmental Council > > P.O. Box 1007 > Charleston, WV 25324 > United States > info(a)wvecouncil.org (304) 414-0143 > View or update your contact information > Unsubscribe from WVEC Legislative Updates > Opt out of all email from WVEC >

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Masontown VFD wins utility vehicle in nationwide contest
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 01 Dec '17

01 Dec '17

Masontown VFD wins utility vehicle in nationwide contest From an Article by Theresa Marthey STAFF WRITER, Preston News, December 1, 2017 MASONTOWN — Masontown Volunteer Fire Department has a new utility vehicle — at no cost to the department — and it was all due to an essay written by Masontown Fire Chief Matt Montgomery’s mother, Donna. “She told me she was going to nominate the department for this nationwide contest through RFD-TV for a new UTV, but what are the chances of winning a national contest?” Montgomery asked. “We were very excited when we heard we won, because ours is around 16 years old.” The department was chosen from 500 national entries to receive a Mahindra mPact XTV 750 S with Flexhauler Cargo Box, a gas side-by-side with a fold-down cargo box and standard electric cargo box lift. “This contest was open to any group of first responders in the United States,” Mahindra USA representative Travis Morin said. “We were impressed when we read the essay written by Matt’s mother about the flooding rescue this department did in July.” The incident Morin was referring was the July 23 rescue of more than a dozen people at the Bull Run bridge when quickly rising water surrounded their campsite. Approximately 19 people from Maryland and Pennsylvania had set up camp in the area where Big Sandy Creek meets the Cheat River. While the site normally could be reached with minimal wading, that weekend’s heavy rainfall caused the water to rise 3 feet and the current to become dangerously swift. Shortly before 10 a.m. July 23, volunteer fire departments from Masontown, Reedsville, Bruceton-Brandonville and a KAMP ambulance from Kingwood were dispatched to handle the swift-water rescue. “Mahindra North America is passionate about giving back to those that serve our communities. We are pleased to partner with RFD-TV to donate a Mahindra utility vehicle to the Masontown Volunteer Fire Department,” Morin said during the presentation. “First responders make a difference in their communities every day and deserve our support.” Montgomery thanked Morin and Mahindra USA, as well as Bob Meredith, owner of Mahindra of Clarksburg, who delivered the vehicle to the department on Tuesday. “This is a real honor to be chosen to receive this UTV out of the 500 entries in the contest,” Montgomery said. “There has been a lot of excitement here at the department since we found out we were chosen to receive this.” Montgomery said the department would still use its current UTV, since it has the medical bed. “We still need to get used to this new UTV and the operation,” Montgomery said. “But it will be put to good use. It will be nice to have two we can use.”

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Cheat River Flood of November 1985
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 08 Nov '17

08 Nov '17

https://www.theet.com/content/tncms/live/ Rowlesburg flood monument dedicated by Joseph Hauger EDITOR, Preston County Journal, November 7, 2017 ROWLESBURG — After years of volunteers’ efforts, a town struck by flooding 32 years ago this month now has a permanent reminder of the disaster. Members of the Rowlesburg Revitalization Committee and the ON TRAC program joined with community business and government leaders in unveiling a monument commemorating the flooding of November 4-5, 1985, which swept away a large part of the town. About three dozen people gathered at the Main Street Garden in the downtown Rowlesburg Historic District to have a first chance to view the marker. Kathleen Wolfe Oresanin, head of the revitalization committee, described the effects the Cheat River had on her family over the decades, from the flood in 1954 that inundated their motel and restaurant to the 1985 disaster that swept those businesses and two of their houses off the map. But we still love that river,” Oresanin said. “That old lover who keeps coming back to break your heart again and again and again.” Anna Nassif of Rowlesburg, one of the drivers of the movement to create the marker, pointed to the resilience of the town’s residents “and their ability to take us forward, to come up with creative solutions to any types of suffering we may experience from the elements — water, earth, air and fire. As the people have shown before, we can do it again.” Some of the solutions for the town’s future will come from the same river that nearly destroyed it, said Tim Weaver, owner of the River House Lodge. “This beautiful, treacherous river connects us to our past and to our future,” Weaver said. “We are stuck with you, Cheat River. You have taken much from us, among those things, lives, property, hopes, memories, dreams, heirlooms and entire parts of our community. You have stolen these from us. “You have given us much … and you can give us an option for our future, as you always do. A choice we can make. We can be and are becoming a tourist attraction because of you. … We can use you to build a new economy,” Weaver said. He pointed to new signs of economic development taking hold in the town, with land acquisition completed for a 15-acre RV park and for a service station and supply store to be known as the Cheat River Trading Post. “The river giveth and the river taketh away,” Weaver said. Robert Sypolt, president of the Preston County Historical Society and a Rowlesburg native, said this year seems particularly appropriate to dedicate the monument in the midst of the spate of tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and fires that have struck around the country. Shortly after these disasters happen, he said, there is a rush of initial aid, but it soon dwindles. But, in Rowlesburg, he said, some volunteers who were here in 1985 keep coming back year after year. “It’s important that we do take the time to thank these people when they come to town at their own expense and help maintain our communities,” Sypolt said. The production staff of Paul Riggs, Phil Wotring, George Nassif and Lee Waybright worked for years to obtain the funding to erect the memorial of a bronze plaque attached to a locally quarried bluestone slab donated by Wotring. Part of the worst flooding in West Virginia’s history, the Cheat River swelled to more than double the flood stage and destroyed large portions of riverside towns such as Rowlesburg and Albright. Statewide, the deadly torrents claimed 38 lives, damaged or destroyed 13,000 homes and caused $700 million in damage. Mayor Barbara Banister said the residents of her town can be bowled over by such hardships, but they spring right back up and continue with their lives. “Rowlesburg is the most resilient town you’ll ever find,” she said. Sent from my iPad

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Pennsylvania American Water issues 48-hour boil water advisory for 55+ communities, estimated 100, 000 customers
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 07 Nov '17

07 Nov '17

Pennsylvania American Water issues 48-hour boil water advisory for 55+ communities, estimated 100,000 customers From WTAE, Action 4 News, November 6, 2017 BETHEL PARK, Pa. — Pennsylvania American Water has issued a 48-hour boil water advisory for 55 communities in Allegheny and Washington counties. An estimated 100,000 customers are affected. (See the list of communities below). The advisory was issued as a precaution due to high levels of turbidity at the Elrama water treatment plant, according to PAWC. (The Elrama plant draws water from the Monongahela River a mile south of the Elizabeth bridge over the river on PA Route 51. Clairton is the next community downstream.) The advisory applies only to drinking and cooking, not bathing or washing clothes. Residents of impacted communities should bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. The advisory was issued as a precaution due to high levels of turbidity at the Elrama water treatment plant, according to PAWC. According to PAWC, turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking water. Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by suspended solids that are usually invisible to the naked eye. It is a key test of water quality. The full list of communities is as follows: Allegheny County --- Bethel Park, Clairton, Dravosburg, Elizabeth Township, Elizabeth Borough, Glassport, Jefferson, Jefferson Hills Borough, Liberty, Lincoln, North Fayette, South Fayette, South Park, Upper Saint Clair, West Elizabeth Washington County --- Amwell, Avella, Buffalo, Burgettstown, Canton, Canonsburg, Carroll Township, Cecil Township, Chartiers, City of Washington, Claysville, Cross Creek, Donegal Township, East Washington, Fallowfield, Finleyville, Frankfort Springs, Forward Township, Green Hills Borough, Independence, Hanover, Hopewell, Houston, Jefferson, McDonald, McMurray, , Midway, Monongahela, Mount Pleasant, New Eagle, North Franklin, North Strabane, Nottingham, Peters Township, Robinson Township, Smith Township, Somerset Township, South Franklin, South Strabane, Union Township, West Middletown WATER BUFFALO LOCATIONS: Bethel Park Community Center: 5151 Park Ave., Bethel Park, PA 15102 Canonsburg Dam parking lot: McDowell Rd., McMurray, PA 15317 Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church: 112 W. Pike St., Canonsburg, PA 15317 Carroll Township Volunteer FireDepartment: 988 Route 837, Monongahela, PA 15063 Elrama Volunteer Fire Company: 17 Elrama Ave., Elrama, PA 15038 North StrabaneFire Department: 2550 Washington Rd., Canonsburg, PA 15317 South Fayette Township Library: 515 Millers Run Rd., Morgan, PA 15064 South Park Township Library: 2575 Brownsville Rd., South Park Township, PA 15129 Upper St. Clair Community & Recreation Center: 1551 Mayview Rd., Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 Source : http://www.wtae.com/article/pennsylvania-american-water-issues-48-hour-boil… Sent from my iPad

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Trout for Cheat's whoppers aren't fish tales
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 04 Nov '17

04 Nov '17

Trout for Cheat's whoppers aren't fish tales by Joseph Hauger EDITOR, Preston County News & Journal, November 3, 2017 ROWLESBURG — Halloween may be over, but thanks to the efforts of a local group, some monstrous-sized fish are lurking in the Cheat River. Art George, president of the non-profit Trout for Cheat Inc., said stocking the river with the large specimens helps to attract anglers from all of the states surrounding West Virginia. “They come here because they want to get the big fish,” George said. “When they comes from other states, it’s a benefit to the county.” Trout for Cheat is in the midst of its fall stocking schedule, which began with the release of 1,700 pounds of fish into the river a week ago. That’s the standard weight for each of the organization’s stockings, which take place four times each spring and five times in the fall — more than seven tons of trout added annually. “The ones we released (Oct. 27) were two-to-eight pounds,” George said. “They’re mainly rainbow, but we do put in a few brown and golden.” The trout are placed in the water in 18-20 places from the Riverview Lounge on U.S. 50 to the Pringle Run area on W.Va. 72. Each stop was handled with military efficiency, due in no small part to the participation of Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy students performing community service projects. “They do a lot of work to make sure everything is going smoothly,” George said. When the caravan arrives at a site, a Preston County sheriff’s deputy helps with traffic control where necessary, the cadets quickly exit their vans and a bucket brigade is formed — sometimes over steep and rocky hillsides — to the riverbank. Fish are netted from the Indian Lake Fisheries truck that made the three-hour trip from Elkview, and the buckets are sent to the Cheat’s edge. When the allotment of trout are placed in that area, the participants scurry back up the hillside, stow their gear, jump into the vehicles, and the convoy heads to the next location. Each stocking day brings a price tag of $5,525 for Trout for Cheat — around $50,000 annually, George said. He and the other members of the executive committee, Buzz Halterman, Jim White, Jon Hunter, Bo Burnside and Bob Martin, conduct fundraisers, seek donations and find sources of funding to keep the waters teeming. “We’ve been at it for 16 years, and there’s still plenty to do,” George said.

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The Cheat River and Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 02 Nov '17

02 Nov '17

Friends of the Cheat gives tour, deems river the 'healthiest it's been in 50 years' by Conor Griffith STAFF WRITER, Clarksburg Exponent Telegraph, Oct. 30, 2017 CHEAT LAKE —The nonprofit organization Friends of the Cheat concluded a tour throughout Monongalia and Preston counties Oct. 24, during which time the group delivered a report on the state of the Cheat River watershed. Since 1994, FOC has partnered with private landowners, government organizations and companies to address the threat to watershed posed by acid mine drainage, which lowers the watershed’s pH levels to the point where little plant or animal life can survive in it. “The Cheat River is the healthiest it’s been in 50 years,” FOC Executive Director Amanda Pitzer said, adding that one issue the organization is now facing is changing the perception of the river and lake, especially among older generations. “They remember when there were no fish in the lake and it looked like a drainage ditch. We’re really trying to keep education and outreach ramped up.” These efforts were accomplished through the construction of water treatment sites throughout the region. Other installations add lime or sodium hydroxide to purify the water. Pitzer said the organization is now moving on to purifying the myriad of streams and creeks that feed into the Cheat River. Dustin Smith, of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, said the proof in Cheat Lake’s rebound lies in its current fish stocks. In the 1970s, he said only 15 species were observed in the lake and more than 80 percent of these were bullhead and white sucker catfish, which are highly tolerant of acidic waters. By 2015, 44 fish species were observed, including large salamanders and walleye, a popular, but sensitive game fish. Not only that, Smith said the rate of fish caught jumped from 160 fish caught per hour in 1990 to 540 in 2005. This was made possible by reduced acidity in the lake, something Smith said can only remain as long as treatment of the water continues. “The main lake was basically an aquatic desert,” Smith said. “It’s such a success story when looking at where it is now versus where it was.” Randy Huffman, former state Division of Environmental Protection Cabinet Secretary and competitive bass fisherman, said there are economic impacts of cleaning up the watershed, adding that when FOC started, the most immediate concern regarding the pollution was the decline in whitewater rafting. He said small communities near abundant clean water burst with economic activity as a result of fishing tournaments, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars to participate in when factoring in restaurants, equipment, hotels, tackle shops and fuel. An example of this, he said, is Dandridge,Tennessee. “If you’ve ever been there, it’s not much, but, when you get a 200-boat bass tournament, its economy booms,” he said. “Go to any bass tournament and you’ll understand the economics and the importance it plays to these communities.” Huffman added that industries also search for clean water when considering where to set up shop both for the immediate applications but also as a means of gauging the quality of life for their employees. Looking to the future, Pitzer said the seeds have been planted on an ambitious project: The removal of the dam along the Cheat Rivernear Albright. She said the dam has no flood-control capabilities and was used for cooling of the power plant near Albright that was decommissioned in 2012. With no way for the plant to be compatible with natural gas, she said the plant is a large brownfield with no further use. If the dam is removed, she said this could help make for 190 miles of unobstructed river for paddling, swimming and for fish to pass through. She said the possibility this much open river is almost unheard of in the developed world. Source: https://www.theet.com/statejournal/friends-of-the-cheat-gives-tour-deems-ri…

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Friends of the Cheat gives update on river's status
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 20 Oct '17

20 Oct '17

Friends of the Cheat gives update on river's status by Theresa Marthey STAFF WRITER, Preston News Journal, October 20, 2017 KINGWOOD — It may not be lions, tigers and bears, but according to Friends of the Cheat, it is better. River otters, fish and salamanders have been spotted again in the Cheat River. These are all signs of a recovering Cheat River Watershed, but there is still a lot of work to do, the group reports. “In 1994, when Friends of the Cheat formed, the Cheat River was one of the 95 most-endangered American rivers,” Friends of the Cheat Executive Director Amanda Pitzer said Tuesday. “Now we have fish from the headwaters, and otters have been spotted in Big Sandy again. “I can also tell you what the Friends of the Cheat is not — we are not trout stockers and we are not raft guides,” Pitzer said. “We are the people who keep the river clean.” Pitzer and the staff of Friends of the Cheat gave a “State of the Cheat River Watershed” presentation at Rosemary’s Thyme Mexican Restaurant in Kingwood. It was the second of three sessions about the progress on cleaning the watershed and where the group wants to focus in the future. Pitzer said 87 percent of the funding received by Friends of the Cheat goes toward the restoration of the river and the streams feeding it. “Eight percent goes towards administration costs, and 5 percent towards fundraising,” Pitzer said. Friends of the Cheat maintains 28 treatment sites through an agreement with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. “We have just signed an agreement to maintain those sites through March 2020,” Restoration Program Manager David Petry said. “Our primary task at these sites is sampling of acid mine drainage at state-owned water treatment facilities.” Those 28 facilities include a combined total of 33 lime dosers, 12 sodium hydroxide tanks and 38 sample points. “To date in 2017, we have used 560 tons of lime, 13,600 gallons of sodium hydroxide,” Monitoring Coordinator Ellie Bell said. “We have also taken 380 water samples and have driven 47,000 miles.” A new pilot project that Friends of the Cheat began this year is monitoring bacteria levels at nine public river access sites between Parsons and Cheat Lake. “We send those water samples to West Virginia University in a partnership with Dr. Dorothy Vesper,” Bell said. “And those water samples are analyzed for total coliform and E. coli bacteria.” The Friends of the Cheat then uploads the sample results to the Swim Guide at www.theswimguide.org. “Our preliminary results have shown generally low levels of bacteria throughout the study area,” Bell said. “The exceptions have been during warm months with low-water conditions.” Pitzer said Friends of the Cheat has always been looking toward the future, and was able to purchase 20 miles of railroad corridors for rail trails in 2016 and 2017. “The West Virginia Northern Rail Trail is one that is being developed by the Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission,” Pitzer said. “And the Cheat River Trail between Manheim and Allegheny Wood Products, that is just over nine miles.” In addition to monitoring and advocating for clean water, Friends of the Cheat maintains four whitewater access points on the Cheat River and Big Sandy, Pitzer said. “But we still have a long way to go,” Pitzer added. “The DEP is constructing a new $8 million abandoned mine drainage treatment facility on W.Va. Route 26 to treat water from Muddy Creek. “In addition to treating water from the T&T coal mine site, the facility will also treat water from Ruthbell No. 3 site and polluted waters from the Viking Coal, Rockville and Fickey Run sites,” Pitzer said. “This is a great opportunity to reconnect the Cheat and lower Muddy Creek with the healthy active trout fishery with Martin Creek.” These are just a few things Friends of the Cheat is involved in to protect the Cheat River Watershed — from its headwaters near Snowshoe to its convergence with the Monongahela River near Point Marion, Pa. The next “State of the Watershed” is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, at Crab Shack Carriba in Cheat Lake.

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Justice for West Virginia’s Cheat River - Rewire
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 04 Oct '17

04 Oct '17

https://rewire.news/article/2017/10/04/the-dead-stream-behind-your-home-jus… Justice for West Virginia’s Cheat River Analysis Environment Oct 4, 2017, Dylan Jones If Congress doesn’t reauthorize the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, it could spell the end of stream restoration. The majority of the Cheat’s mainstem and its tributaries flow through Preston and Tucker counties—two of northern West Virginia’s more rural segments. Nearly one-half of the watershed’s residents live near a stream or river affected by acid mine drainage (AMD)—and 2007 report found that being located near an AMD-impaired stream reduced average home values by nearly $5,000. Strapped into a sleek kayak, sporting goggles and a wide smile, Jim Snyder emerged from a ride on an underwater current. The water looked crystal-clear. Snyder’s kayak, river rocks, and darting trout were all visible below the surface. An osprey soared overhead. Another beautiful day on the Cheat River. The Cheat hasn’t always been this way. Snyder vividly recalled two decades ago when the water was bright orange and there were no fish, a time when the Cheat was dead. “There were years of really bad water …. It was cloudy looking, and tasted bad, and could make your eyes burn,” he said. “It took miles for the water to settle out. It was a really sick river.” Like many rivers in West Virginia, the Cheat’s legacy has been tainted by acid mine drainage (AMD). When the shafts and tunnels of abandoned coal mines flood, air and water react with pyrite—fool’s gold—to produce acidic water that can contain heavy metals such as iron, aluminum, and manganese. This toxic solution works its way through seeps, springs, and mine portals to enter streams and other sources of water, creating unlivable conditions for aquatic life. In tandem with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and an army of volunteers, Friends of the Cheat (FOC), the watershed’s advocacy organization, has tackled stream restoration at a fervent pace. According to Amanda Pitzer, executive director of the FOC, by operating 17 of its own remediation sites and working with WVDEP on another 45, FOC has successfully restored the Cheat’s mainstem and several of its tributaries. Macroinvertebrates, freshwater mussels, fish, and predatory birds have returned along with clean water. But the watershed faces new threats: dwindling federal funding for reclamation of abandoned mine lands (AML); a congressional vote to potentially eliminate the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA); and the Trump Administration’s shrinking of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), the federal office responsible for implementation of the SMCRA. “If [SMCRA] ends in 2022, we are saying that, as a nation, we are done cleaning up abandoned mine lands,” said Pitzer. “All the regulatory people and programs would be dissolved. We’re coming to the sunset of this program, and we’re far from done.” “To Get Up on Your Soapbox and Demand That It Gets Fixed Can Make You Look Bad” Originating in the highlands of north central West Virginia, the Cheat River flows north for 78 miles through the Allegheny Mountains to its confluence with the Monongahela River in Point Marion, Pennsylvania. It drains a 1,422-square mile watershed comprised of a large portion of West Virginia’s public lands. Spanning five West Virginia counties, the watershed is home to some 45,000 residents, many of whom live in poverty. In the town of Albright, located just upstream of the Cheat Canyon’s whitewater stretch, the poverty rate is 34.3 percent—more than double the national average. Evan Hansen, president of environmental consulting firm Downstream Strategies, believes water quality directly links to economic prosperity along the Cheat. “I think largely there are certain types of development that are undone because these streams are dead … there’s an economy built up around our outdoor recreation industry in West Virginia that just goes unrealized in parts of the state that have bad acid mine drainage problems.” For Snyder, who manufactures kayaks and wooden paddles in his shop in Albright, that recreation economy is his lifeline. “Tourism is a big deal [on the Cheat] because it brings a lot of state dollars in and it renews every year,” he said. “People come to us because it’s so nice here; tourism runs itself.” Under Hansen’s guidance, Downstream Strategies has been developing watershed plans with FOC and the WVDEP for the past 15 years. Although he’s seen the Cheat bounce back, its economy has yet to follow suit. The majority of the Cheat’s mainstem and its tributaries flow through Preston and Tucker counties—two of northern West Virginia’s more rural segments. Nearly one-half of the watershed’s residents live near a stream or river affected by AMD—and a 2007 report found that being located near an AMD-impaired stream reduced average home values by nearly $5,000. If all streams in the watershed were restored, properties located within one-quarter mile of restored streams would benefit by $1.7 million. But according to Pitzer, the call for remediation often comes from people living in other parts of the watershed. “The tributaries in the Cheat have been dead or damaged for a long time, so folks have gotten used to it,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard to connect the dots between how bad and polluted [a stream] is, and day-to day-life of feeding kids and paying taxes. When you don’t have a job and you’re facing tough problems, caring about the dead stream behind your home isn’t something affecting your quality of life.” Pitzer also pointed to the class divide within the watershed. “A lot of the people who have money in this community are the people who benefitted from the mining in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. There’s this West Virginia problem where we can’t bite the hand that feeds us, so you might think that the polluted streams are wrong, but to get up on your soapbox and demand that it gets fixed can make you look bad.” “I think people across the watershed have become numb to the issue of AMD, especially people who grew up with it,” Hansen said. “There’s a common thought, ‘That’s just the way it is, and that’s the way it’s gonna be.’ It’s sort of that fatalistic attitude you hear about, which we have witnessed a lot [in Appalachia]. But it’s not universal, you hear a lot of people who’ve been here their whole lives who see it as a problem, who are taking steps to try to fix it.” Serving as Northern Basin Coordinator for the WV DEP Watershed Improvement Branch, Martin Christ works directly with FOC to aid in construction of AMD treatment systems, develop proposals, and support volunteers. “What I’m interested in is helping people improve the water quality,” Christ said. “[W]e address the issue by trying to make the streams better, and returning the streams [people] live next to to the point where they can support fish, and swim.” “Both Sides Need Clean Water to Thrive” But remediating AMD isn’t a simple or inexpensive task. Pitzer claimed it could take centuries for pyrite in the coal beds to dissolve. “This [remediation] work could be reversed,” she said. “We didn’t remove the pyrite from the ground; the pollution producing material is still there. We’re never done.” AMD remediation is managed via passive and active treatment systems: passive sites contain limestone channels and settlement ponds that neutralize acidity and allow deposition of heavy metals, while active systems utilize “dosers”—silos filled with hydrated lime—to alter water chemistry directly in a stream. Treatment systems require constant operation; the moment a treatment site shuts down, AMD from underground can re-enter the watershed. Maintenance is just as crucial. In 2014, an active doser operated by WVDEP malfunctioned and released its entire contents into the Blackwater River—a major tributary to the Cheat —killing an estimated 23,000 fish. According to Dr. Nico Zegre, associate professor of forest hydrology and director of the Mountain Hydrology Laboratory at West Virginia University, stopping remediation would result in instant changes to the watershed. “If the water treatment in the Cheat went away, it would be a very different system with very little uses for that water, if any,” said Zegre. “Cheat Lake, as an important residential area, would certainly feel the brunt of cessation of water treatment activities. That’s why I think we have such an opportunity for [communities] to get together to ensure that society makes decisions to protect those resources.” He viewed it under a lens of practicality: “I think that’s what’s been asked in the conversation largely between the environmental community and the pro-business community is that both sides need clean water to thrive. Why isn’t there a coalition built upon that?” The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act established the Office of Surface Mining, the federal agency responsible for the creation and enforcement of environmental regulations on surface coal mining. It also created the AML Reclamation Program, which funnels money to help with environmental cleanup to states via a tax on coal, currently set at 28 cents per ton for surface-mined coal and 12 cents per ton for underground-mined coal. But the AML fund is decreasing. In 2015, U.S. coal production dropped 10.3 percent to its lowest annual production level since 1986; the AML tax was reduced by 20 percent in 2013 (a planned reduction, built into the 2006 reauthorization of the SMCRA). Significant drops in both coal production and the AML tax have been a one-two punch for reclamation. The AML fund collected $194.2 million in fiscal year 2015, down 36 percent from $305.3 million in 2007. West Virginia received $31.8 million in AML grants in 2016, down 25 percent from $39.3 million in 2008. Pitzer said Trump’s trend of appointing administrators intent on dismantling their agencies coupled with potential defunding of the AML fund are cause for concern for the Cheat River. “It all comes down to money,” she said. “The resources to support restoring abandoned mine lands just aren’t there. It’s expensive, and there aren’t a lot of other [sources] to go through to get hundreds of thousands of dollars.” If Congress doesn’t reauthorize SMCRA in 2022, it could spell the end of stream restoration. West Virginia would be unable to shoulder the cost of restoration on its own, according to Rob Rice, director of WVDEP’s Office of Abandoned Mine Lands & Reclamation. Rice cautioned, “All progress that is currently being made would stop.” “This Is Where SMCRA Worked” With the vote to reauthorize SMCRA still five years away, some might question the urgency. “In all reality, a five-year timeline to get a federal bill reauthorized is urgent,” Pitzer said. “It’s happening now; these conversations have already started.” One of those conversations took place in June when Rice testified to a U.S. House subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources that: “Legislative deliberations of this scale take a significant amount of time,” noting that the 2006 reauthorization of SMCRA had involved a decade of deliberation. “Our fear is that if it’s not discussed now, while Congress is willing to talk about the AML program, it’s not going to be talked about down the road,” Rice said. Pitzer also linked threats to SMCRA to Trump’s quiet restructuring of OSM, staff cuts, and closing of positions left vacant by retiring employees. “[OSM], whose existence is authorized by SMCRA, [is] getting pushed around, and for folks in the best position to advocate for the reauthorization of this bill, their jobs are literally being eliminated,” she said. “We’re losing that institutional knowledge …. We’re losing the allies that fought for this stuff from the beginning.” Snyder, who spends the majority of his days paddling the Cheat, was weary. “I’m concerned about any erosion of the environmental standards, it’s like everyone’s searching for the lowest possible standard to keep things right,” he said. “We saw it change here. We had strip mining sites righted, and it brought back birds, bugs, and animals. This is where SMCRA worked.” Christ, of the WVDEP Watershed Improvement Branch, remained hopeful. “I hope to see people enjoying the Cheat River, getting in the Cheat River. I hope to see everybody in the county saying, ‘I’m from Preston County, that’s where the Cheat River is, and I’m proud of it.’” “We see the Cheat as the county’s greatest asset,” Pitzer said. “Outdoor recreation is something to be proud of, something we have to offer. We don’t have to go work in the coal mines to be valuable contributors to the economy, and that’s a hard sell for people who’ve grown up with coal.”

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Fwd: E.coli sample data from Wednesday 9/6
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

> Date: September 8, 2017 at 2:11:15 PM EDT > > Subject: FW: E.coli sample data from Wednesday 9/6 > > > > Subject: E.coli sample data from Wednesday 9/6 > > Red = High, no swim > > Date: Fri, Sep 8, 2017 at 10:38 AM > > > FYI: > > > > https://www.theswimguide.org/find/#39.05269860062426/-80.75867419335941/39.… > > Note: we got another 2 inches of rain the night before sampling, and the river came up from 200 cfs to 2000 cfs in Parsons. I presume the poo just hadn't gotten down to J-berg yet. > > David W. Petry > Friends of the Cheat > Restoration Program Manager > 119 South Price Street, Suite 206 > Kingwood, West Virginia 26537 > Phone: (304) 329-3621 ext. 4 > > www.cheat.org > www.cheatriverwatertrail.org > www.cheatfest.org

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Fwd: River of Promise Information
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 09 Aug '17

09 Aug '17

> From: David Petry <david(a)cheat.org> > Date: August 9, 2017 at 4:25:01 PM EDT > > Subject: River of Promise - Update > > Thank you to Ryan Gaujot of Green Rivers for presenting on natural stream design, and to all of our partners that participated in the discussion that followed, at our River of Promise meeting in July. The next meeting will be Wednesday, October 18, at the Mon County Health Department. A guest speaker has not been scheduled yet. > > Best, > > David W. Petry > Friends of the Cheat > Restoration Program Manager > 119 South Price Street, Suite 206 > Kingwood, West Virginia 26537 > Phone: (304) 329-3621 ext. 4 > > Restore | Preserve | Promote

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Rising river strands campers in Cheat Canyon
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 25 Jul '17

25 Jul '17

https://www.theet.com/content/tncms/live/ Rising river strands campers in Cheat Canyon by Joseph Hauger, Preston county news & journal, July 23, 2017 MASONTOWN — Firefighters from around the county spent a soggy Sunday morning rescuing more than a dozen people in the Bull Run area near Masontown after rising water surrounded their campsite. Masontown Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Bill Cress said 19 people from Maryland and Pennsylvania had set up camp in the area where Big Sandy Creek meets the Cheat River, not far from the bridge at Bull Run. While the site normally can be reached with minimal wading, Cress said the weekend’s heavy rainfall caused the water to rise 3 feet and the current to become dangerously swift. One camper “couldn’t swim at all, and two others were weak swimmers,” Cress said. Shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday, volunteer fire departments from Masontown, Reedsville, Bruceton-Brandonville and a KAMP ambulance from Kingwood were dispatched to handle the swift-water rescue. In all, Cress said, 19 volunteers responded to the 19 campers in distress. With cellular service in the low-lying area spotty at best, Cress said one camper swam across to travel to an area where he could get a signal and call for help. “Then he swam back. He’s been training for the ‘Ironman’ triathlon, he said. Masontown’s Water Rescue Team spearheaded the effort, which required meeting at a staging area near the bridge, and then hiking down a few hundred yards of steep, muddy and slippery paths through rhododendron bushes until they reached the river’s edge. “We have a rope gun that they shot across the river, which gave us a tether line,” Cress said. “Then we sent across the boat” with one rescuer to bring back the campers one at a time. The firefighters finished transporting the campers shortly before 1:30 p.m. Of the 19 people at the site, 13 needed to be rescued, and no injuries were reported, Cress said. After everybody and their camping and rescue equipment had been brought up the steep slope, Cress reminded the outdoor enthusiasts to be mindful of how fast the weather conditions can change in Preston County and urged them to select future campsites with that in mind. While the rescued people were grateful for the firefighters’ efforts, they were reluctant to share the circumstances which led to their extrication. “It’s our first time here,” said one woman who refused to give her name. “Some have been here before, but we didn’t really know what this was.” Cress said the group — men and women in their 20s and 30s — was not part of the Deep Roots Music Festival, which was taking place nearby. “They had been planning this trip since January, and they’re planning to come back next year,” Cress said, adding that the timing with the weekend concert was a coincidence. This is the fourth time this year that Masontown’s water team has been put into action, prompting more firefighters to obtain water rescue certification, Cress said. “These guys, the water team, they did great,” he said. Cress also expressed appreciation for the other departments that came to the rescue. “We worked together well. I really want to thank those guys.”

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Cube Hydro Partners & Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 07 Jul '17

07 Jul '17

Cube Hydro Partners: Cube Hydro, a portfolio company of I Squared Capital Advisors (US) LLC, is a hydropower development and operating platform targeting investments in mid-sized greenfield and operating hydro projects in North Americas. Cube Hydro and its affiliates own and operate 19 hydropower plants on ten rivers in five states with a combined capacity of more than 374 megawatts, generating 1.4 million megawatt-hours annually, or enough electricity to power approximately 140,000 homes with renewable energy.

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WVMetroNews - Cindy storm delivers blow but no knockout punch
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 24 Jun '17

24 Jun '17

Our power went off Friday night at about 10:30 pm and is still off. Looks like a small tornado came down into Cheat Lake about 5 miles upstream of us. See the photos in this Article. http://wvmetronews.com/2017/06/24/cindy-storm-delivers-blows-but-no-knockou… Sent from my iPhone

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Beware of Otters
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 19 Jun '17

19 Jun '17

DNR: Beware of otters By MetroNews Staff in Outdoors | June 19, 2017 at 10:34AM FARMINGTON, W.Va. — A group spending the day on the water got a closer encounter with West Virginia’s great outdoors than they would have liked. The Division of Natural Resources reports a group of 20 to 25 people were celebrating Mother’s Day back in May with a float trip on Monongalia County’s Dunkard Creek. At some point, the party encountered a river otter winch inadvertently climbed into one of the canoes and bit a man, then ended up biting another in one of the other boats in the group. The victims went to the emergency room for treatment and took precautionary rabies shots. DNR officials say the incident is unusual, but also a good reminder to try and steer clear of any wild animal. Officials say it doesn’t appear the party did anything to provoke the attack, but add otters are territorial animals and are known to be aggressive, especially when they have young offspring. “Do not approach river otters,” said Steve Raouch, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources District 1 wildlife biologist. “If an otter approaches, you should take steps to keep the otter away from you. This can be done with boat oars, fishing rod, or whatever else might be readily available. You should never try to touch a river otter or any other wild animal.”

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MONT CHATEAU HOTEL: Acts of the Legislature of West Virginia - Google Books
by Duane via CLEAR 02 Apr '17

02 Apr '17

The Mont Chateau Hotel was established by act of the WV Legislature in 1894. https://books.google.com/books?id=bodCAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA91&lpg=RA1-PA91&dq=… Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Local Favorites Places
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 01 Apr '17

01 Apr '17

https://printedephemera.lib.wvu.edu/imageviewer/wvulibraries:58370/digitalI… Sent from my iPhone

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Fwd: Protecting our Water - Learn More About HB2506
by Duane via CLEAR 10 Mar '17

10 Mar '17

> From: Friends of the Cheat <amanda(a)cheat.org> > Date: March 10, 2017 3:38:10 PM EST > > Subject: Protecting our Water - Learn More About HB2506 > > > The West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee will soon consider HB2506. This bill will change the way stream flow is measured when setting limits for pollution discharge permits. The new method would make the assumption that river and streams are larger and can dilute pollution to concentrations that would not threaten human health or water quality. > > Based on the knowledge available and our understanding of HB2506 as it exists now, Friends of the Cheat is opposed to this proposed rule change and would be opposed to any rule or legislative action that could increase pollution in the Cheat River and its tributaries. > > HB2506 has the potential to compromise the improved water quality achieved by 24 years of hard work and millions of dollars of restoration and remediation projects. Further, the passage of such a bill could undermine the community’s ability to promote the Cheat River has a haven for recreation and related tourism. > Learn more about HB2506 here, here, here, and here. And if you need a laugh after all that, check out West Virginia storyteller Bil Lepp’s take on HB2506. > Legislators may consider HB2506 early next week. You can voice your opinion on HB2506 to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in a few ways – direct calls and emails from constituents can be very powerful. If you don’t know who your senator is, you can find out using the senate district maps here. Or, if you have a cell phone, text your zip code to (520) 200-2223 and you will get a text back with all your representatives’ names and phone numbers. > Call members of the Senate Judiciary Committee > Chair Senator Charles Trump (R – Morgan, District 15) (304) 357-7980 > Vice Chair Senator Ryan Weld (R – Brooke, District 1) (304) 357-7984 > Senator Mike Azinger (R – Wood, District 3) (304) 357-7970 > Senator Bob Beach (D – Monongalia, District 13) (304) 357-7919 > *Senator Beach has consistently reported that he does not support HB2506 > Senator Charles Clements (R – Wetzel, District 2) (304) 357-7827 > Senator Sue Cline (R – Wyoming, District 9) (304) 357-7807 > Senator Ryan Ferns (R – Ohio, District 1) (304) 357-7918 > Senator Glenn Jeffries (D – Putnam, District 8) (304) 357-7866 > Senator Robert Karnes (R – Upshur, District 11) (304) 357-7909 > *District 11 encompasses the headwaters of the Cheat River watershed. > Senator Mark Maynard (R – Wayne, District 6) (304) 357-7808 > Senator Ronald Miller (D – Greenbrier, District 10) (304) 357-7959 > Senator Richard Ojeda (D – Logan, District 7) (304) 357-7857 > Senator Mike Romano (D – Harrison, District 12) (304) 357-7904 > Senator Patricia Rucker (R – Jefferson, District 16) (304) 357-7957 > Senator Randy Smith (R – Tucker, District 14) (304) 357-7995 > *District 14 encompasses the entire lower Cheat River watershed, including all of Preston and Tucker Counties > Senator Chandler Swope (R – Mercer, District 6) (304) 357-7843 > Senator Mike Woelfel (D – Cabell, District 5) (304) 357-7956 > Email members of the Senate Judiciary Committee > Copy and paste this group of emails below > charles.trump(a)wvsenate.gov; ryan.weld(a)wvsenate.gov; chandler.swope(a)wvsenate.gov; bob.beach(a)wvsenate.gov; glenn.jeffries(a)wvsenate.gov; ronald.miller@wvsenate.gov;richard.ojeda@wvsenate.gov; mike.romano(a)wvsenate.gov; mike.azinger(a)wvsenate.gov; charles.clements(a)wvsenate.gov; sue.cline(a)wvsenate.gov; mike.woelfel(a)wvsenate.gov; ryan.ferns(a)wvsenate.gov; robert.karnes(a)wvsenate.gov; Mark.Maynard(a)wvsenate.gov; patricia.rucker(a)wvsenate.gov; randy.smith(a)wvsenate.gov > > Use the handy online tool provided by West Virginia Rivers Coalition to contact Senators in your district about HB2506. > > Friends of the Cheat (FOC) is a grassroots group working on the ground with local, state, Federal, academic, and private partners—including 45 landowners—to monitor, analyze, and remediate the vast acid mine drainage pollution problems in the lower watershed. FOC and its River of Promise Task Force have implemented restoration efforts which collectively have restored the once-dead Cheat River; FOC has constructed 17 pollution treatment systems to date, which remove hundreds of tons of pollution each year from the Cheat and its tributaries. FOC is also collecting data and working with local partners to understand and clean up coliform pollution from inadequate sewage treatment. This progress could be slowed by relaxing pollution controls at permitted sites including mine water treatment operations and sewage treatment plants. > > Rebirth has begun, but there is more work to be done – long live the Cheat River! Working to restore, preserve, and promote the outstanding natural qualities of the Cheat River watershed since 1994. > > Learn more about the Cheat River’s revival here, here, and here. > > > Copyright © 2017 Friends of the Cheat, All rights reserved. > You are a friend of the Cheat! > > Our mailing address is: > Friends of the Cheat > 119 South Price St. Suite #206 > Kingwood WV, WV 26537-1478 > > Add us to your address book > > > Want to change how you receive these emails? > You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list > >

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Charleston Gazette-Mail | New secretary fires WVDEP environmental advocate
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 29 Jan '17

29 Jan '17

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-politics/20170127/new-secretary-fires-wvd… New secretary fires WVDEP environmental advocate West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Austin Caperton on Friday fired Wendy Radcliff, the leader of the DEP’s Office of Environmental Advocate. The move immediately drew strong criticism from West Virginia citizen groups and environmental organizations that were already wary of how Caperton, a longtime coal industry consultant, would run the agency charged with regulating mining, gas drilling and other industries. “I’m really almost speechless,” said Cindy Rank, the longtime mining chairwoman for the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. “If they wanted to alienate the citizens and the environmental community, this is the way to do it.” Angie Rosser, executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, said it is shocking that Caperton made the move prior to a newly scheduled meeting the week after next with representatives of her organization, the Highlands Conservancy, the West Virginia League of Women Voters and the West Virginia Environmental Council. “This is troublesome news,” Rosser said. “Wendy Radcliff has been the direct line for citizen concerns to help make sure the agency is accountable to the public. It’s concerning this decision seemingly was made without input from the people who the environmental advocate is designed to serve.” Caperton, who is just finishing his second week on the job for Gov. Jim Justice, also fired Kelley Gillenwater, the DEP’s communications director. Gillenwater and Radcliff declined to comment Friday, but their firing was confirmed by numerous DEP sources who asked not to be identified. Radcliff, an attorney, has filled the environmental advocate post for more than six years during two stints at the agency. Gillenwater had been communications director for nearly three years and, while emphasizing the DEP’s position on various issues, also had developed a reputation for pushing to make agency officials more responsive to news media requests. The Justice administration offered no complete explanation for the shakeup at the DEP, and it was not clear what — if any — other changes Caperton planned to make among the top leadership at the agency. Caperton did not return phone calls and, on orders from the Governor’s Office, has rejected interview requests from the Gazette-Mail. Caperton, an engineer and an attorney, previously worked for A.T. Massey Coal and for his family’s company, Slab Fork Coal. He’s worked as an energy industry consultant since 1989, but a list of his clients has not been made public. Jake Glance, an assistant to Gillenwater in the DEP public information office, provided a one-sentence statement via email, but did not return phone calls or answer emailed questions about the statement. “We are restructuring to make our operation more efficient by consolidating roles,” the statement from Glance said. Under state law, the DEP is required to have an environmental advocate and a public information officer. There was not a clear answer on Friday about whether Caperton plans to fill either post or combine their functions, or what his timeline is for either option. And, the DEP’s rules for the environmental advocate office specifically state that the advocate “may not in any official capacity organize public campaigns” either to oppose or support “positions taken” by the DEP “on environmental matters,” a prohibition that would seem to create a roadblock to combining the advocate and communications director roles. Friday also was the deadline for Caperton’s internal request that each of the more than 800 DEP employees submit to him “at least one cost-saving idea for the agency.” In a memo to DEP employees, Caperton had said Justice “has directed that we do everything in our power to eliminate waste and find savings.” Caperton asked that the ideas be provided through an online survey or provided to Gillenwater. An exact breakdown of the environmental advocate office budget was not available, because its spending is combined within the total for the DEP’s executive offices. But in addition to Radcliff, the office had two other employees and shared a secretary with a separate DEP Office of Small Business Ombudsman, whose stated role at the agency is to “safeguard small business’s rights and help them when they have problems with regulatory agencies.” The DEP environmental advocate office was created by the Legislature in 1994, at the behest of then-state Sen. David Grubb, D-Kanawha. Grubb had threatened to hold up passage of a 1,400-page, industry-backed bill to consolidate the state’s various environmental agencies unless language was added to create a position aimed at helping everyday citizens navigate the DEP’s complex regulatory system. Early on, the office faced repeated but unsuccessful efforts by some Republican lawmakers to eliminate it. And various industry trade groups tried during a public comment period on the rules governing the advocate office to narrowly define the position’s role at DEP. The West Virginia Manufacturers Association, for example, opposed giving the office additional staff and argued against the idea that citizens needed help getting more of voice in state environmental policymaking. Radcliff, though, served as environmental advocate under five different top DEP leaders — including two whose backgrounds were in the coal industry — and in both Democratic and Republican administrations. She began in mid-1994 under then-DEP Director David C. Callaghan during the Democratic administration of Gov. Gaston Caperton, who is Austin Caperton’s cousin. Among other projects, Radcliff helped DEP officials organize a Citizens’ Strip Mine Tour in 1997 that provided one of the first close-up glimpses of the impact of mountaintop removal on residents in some coalfield communities. During the administration of Republican Cecil Underwood, Radcliff lasted for about 18 months, before resigning in June 1998, citing differences in philsophy and other career opportunities. Longtime Kanawha Valley chemical plant safety activist Pam Nixon took over as environmental advocate later in 1998. Nixon retired at the end of 2013 and then-DEP Secretary Randy Huffman convinced Radcliff to come back in June 2014. Huffman, who left earlier this month for a full-time position with the West Virginia Air National Guard, made Radcliff part of the DEP’s senior staff, which provided access to regular meetings of the agency’s division directors. Among other things, Radcliff organized a program that helped find and better train emerging leaders within the agency’s ranks. “I really got to know Wendy well over past few years when she agreed to come back to [the] DEP and serve as our state’s environmental advocate,” Huffman said Friday. “Her enthusiasm and passion for West Virginia is contagious. I appreciate how she understands the nexus between environmental protection and economic growth and how faithfully she supports the role of [the] DEP in that mix. She is selfless in all she does and she makes everyone around her better. I consider her a friend of mine and a friend of West Virginia.” Bill Price, senior organizer for the Sierra Club in West Virginia, said he is troubled by Radcliff’s dismissal. “Wendy Radcliff is a person that people trusted when they felt unheard,” Price said. “Is this a sign of how the people of West Virginia will be shut out by the Justice administration?” “For many who have well water woes or who are worried about another coal slurry spill, have questions about an oil and gas or coal permit or have any number of questions about how to interact with [the] DEP, Wendy’s the first point of contact,” said Vivian Stockman, vice director of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. “She’s friendly, helpful and competent. She does the agency proud, so her dismissal is confounding.“ Reach Ken Ward Jr. at kward(a)wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1702 or follow @kenwardjr on Twitter. Sent from my iPhone

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Charleston Gazette-Mail | Why wintertime brings prime walleye fishing to WV
by Duane via CLEAR 19 Dec '16

19 Dec '16

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/outdoors/20161218/why-wintertime-brings-prime-… Why wintertime brings prime walleye fishing to WV Article by John McCoy, Charleston Gazette Mail, December 18, 2016 As a fisheries biologist, Mark Scott often works with walleyes. He also likes to fish for them, and he says the winter months are an especially good time to catch large female walleyes as they get ready to spawn. West Virginia is trying to protect its native-strain walleyes by imposing special regulations on waters where native walleyes are known to live. There’s a good reason why the words “winter” and “walleye” both begin with a “W.” The two go together like — well, come up with your own pairing. Bacon and eggs. Barbie and Ken. Scooby and Shaggy. Winter is a great time to fish for walleyes. As soon as the weather turns cold, walleyes start moving toward their spawning grounds. Mark Scott, a fisheries biologist and avid walleye angler, said the spawning urge tends to concentrate the fish in specific areas. “In the New River, they congregate downstream from Sandstone Falls,” he said. “On the Kanawha, you can find them below Kanawha Falls or downstream from the navigation dams. At Summersville Lake, you’ll find them in the shoals just upstream from where the Gauley River flows in. “On the Greenbrier River, it’s the area downstream from Bacon Falls. On the Elk River, it’s the area downstream from Sutton Dam.” Scott said walleyes sometimes swim remarkable distances to reach good spawning habitat. A recent study showed that some individuals spent their summers in the New River just upstream from Hawks Nest Lake and their winters 44 miles upstream near Sandstone Falls. “When they’re moving, they’re more susceptible to angling,” Scott said. “They’re actively feeding, and when they get to their spawning zones you can find good numbers of them in a relatively small stretch of river.” Wintertime water temperatures slow down the activities of bass, catfish and other warm-water species. Walleyes like the cold. “They’re a ‘cool-water’ fish,” Scott explained. “They’re a lot like muskies in that regard. They remain active even when most of the other fish in the river aren’t.” Scott said live bait and artificial lures both work well for walleyes. “Some guys like to troll using deep-diving plugs that bang the bottom. Some people like jerk baits or swim baits. The key is fishing slow and on the bottom. Some of the biggest walleyes caught during the winter are hooked by muskie anglers throwing big muskie-sized baits,” he added. For bait anglers, large minnows or suckers are usually the ticket. “When you think about it, a 30-inch walleye is going to want a big bait,” Scott said. “The New River has lots of hogsuckers in it. They mass to spawn in the same areas the walleyes do. For the walleyes, it’s kind of like the buffet bar at Shoney’s.” Anglers who target winter walleyes should carefully read the Division of Natural Resources’ regulations pamphlet and update themselves on recent changes in walleye creel limits. In 2015, the DNR adopted a watershed-based system with specific regulations for specific lakes and rivers. “Those changes were made to protect our native-strain walleyes,” Scott explained. “Anywhere we had our native strain, we put regulations in place to restrict the take of large, spawning-age females.” In some parts of the state, the regulations are simple: a daily creel limit of eight with no length restrictions. The special regulations are more complicated. For example: n A 15-inch length minimum has been put into effect on the Cheat River, the Elk River upstream from Sutton Dam, the Monongahela River, the Tygart River, the West Fork River downstream from Stonewall Jackson Dam, and at Burnsville, Cheat, Stephens, Stonecoal and Tygart lakes. The creel limit on those waters is eight. n An 18-inch minimum size limit and a two-fish-per-day creel limit are in effect for the Ohio River and for the New River between the mouth of the Gauley River and Hawks Nest dam. n A slot limit is in effect for the Coal River, the Elk River downstream from Sutton Dam, the Greenbrier River, the Gauley River downstream from Summersville Dam, and the New River between the Virginia line and Hawks Nest Dam (except in the catch-and-release section detailed below). All walleye between 20 and 30 inches in length must be returned to the water at once. A two-fish daily creel limit is in effect, and only one of those fish can measure more than 30 inches. n A slot limit is in effect on the Gauley River upstream from Summersville Dam, including Summersville Reservoir. All walleye between 20 and 30 inches in length must be returned to the water at once. An eight-fish daily creel limit is in effect, and only one of those fish may measure more than 30 inches. n Catch-and-release regulations are in effect on Charles Fork and Dog Run lakes, and on the 5-mile stretch of the New River from Sandstone Falls downstream to the Meadow Creek public access site. All walleyes must be returned to the water at once. Scott said the catch-and-release regulations were put into place to protect the New River’s prime walleye spawning habitat and the two lakes where native-strain walleyes are kept to provide hatchery brood stock.

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Congratulations to Friends of the Cheat, County Parks and Recreation Commission, Town of Bruceton Mills | Opinion | theet.com
by Jonathan Rosenbaum via CLEAR 07 Dec '16

07 Dec '16

Subject: Congratulations to Friends of the Cheat, County Parks and Recreation Commission, Town of Bruceton Mills | Opinion | theet.com From: Duane Nichols http://www.theet.com/content/tncms/live/ Congratulations to Friends of the Cheat, County Parks and Recreation Commission, Town of Bruceton Mills Yes, Preston County, there indeed is a Santa Claus. Three area organizations — Friends of the Cheat, the Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission and the Town of Bruceton Mills — were awarded separate federal and state transportation and recreational grants on Tuesday, Nov. 29, in Charleston by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. Tomblin invited representatives from each entity, including dozens of other award winners from across the state, to present each group with the grant certificate and congratulations. The Friends of the Cheat was awarded $150,000 for the first phase of its Cheat River Rail Trail Design and Construction Phase I. The Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission received $71,600 in federal grant funds to be used for its ongoing WV Northern Rail Trail project. The third local recipient was the Town of the Bruceton Mills. Mayor Cathy Smith attended the announcement event, representing her community. Her town was one out of 40 in the state to receive a portion of $5,917,737 in Transportation Alternatives Grants. Bruceton received $135,200 for design and engineering work for its ambitious sidewalk project. Gov. Tomblin handed out grants for a total of 54 community and infrastructure projects across the state. The Transportation Alternatives and Recreational Trails Grant programs will provide more than $7 million for a variety of improvements. The funding is provided by the Federal Highway Administration, while the state Division of Highways administers the programs. During the event, Gov. Tomblin told those in attendance, including nine representatives from Preston County, that the grant funding will help build and repair infrastructure across the state, ultimately making communities better places to live and work. Certainly this is great news for all of us who hope to see our beloved rural community become even more beautiful. The relentless positive efforts by the Friends of the Cheat, the Parks and Recreation Commission and now the wonderful Town of Bruceton Mills are clearly paying dividends. The Cheat River Rail Trail Design and Construction Phase I represents a single phase of a multi-year, multi-grant endeavor: Construction of one of the region’s most picturesque and recreationally important trails — the Cheat River Rail-Trail. Phase I will result in approximately 1.5 miles of paved trail. The Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission’s grant will help fund a small part of a larger project to restore and resurface 10 miles of the WV Northern Rail Trail that goes from Kingwood to Tunnelton and to create a WV Northern Trailhead Park. The current grant will fund the design of the next four miles of the WV Northern Rail trail. The Bruceton Mills award is the largest the northern Preston County community has ever received. According to town council member Laura Dulaney, the sidewalk project has been on the town’s wish list for the last 10 years. The grant will give the much talked about project the kick-start it’s needed for a long time. We cannot say enough great things about all three local entities. The men and women who make up the Friends of the Cheat, Parks and Recreation Commission and, of course, the Town of Bruceton Mills have shown a remarkable vision and determined community spirit that all of Preston County should recognize. See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net <http://www.FrackCheckWV.net>

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