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Duane Nichols passing
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 17 Jun '24

17 Jun '24

Sadly, I was contacted by the daughter of Duane Nichols that he passed away Friday morning (June 14, 2024). Here is information about his funeral this Wednesday: Furbee Williams Funeral home Alma WV on Wednesday June 19: 1-2 pm viewing 2 pm memorial service Immediately followed by a burial at Beechwood Cemetary There is an obituary on the Furbee website and likely soon in the Morgantown Paper. Those attending the services are encouraged to wear something orange to honor Duane and his favorite color. Thank you, Tracy Hancock Duane's daughter Obit: https://www.furbeefuneralhome.com/obituary/duane-nichols

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Cheat Lake History is Abundant
by Duane Nichols 12 Jan '24

12 Jan '24

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Mon County officials invite FERC to Cheat Lake for boat ride, second public hearing on Lake Lynn Dam re-licensing
by Duane Nichols 12 Jan '24

12 Jan '24

From: Don Strimbeck <dcsoinks(a)comcast.net> > Date: December 19, 2023 at 10:16:16 AM EST > To: Duane Nichols <Duane330(a)aol.com> > Subject: Mon County officials invite FERC to Cheat Lake for boat ride, second public hearing on Lake Lynn Dam re-licensing > > > SEE ATTACHED > > Donald C. Strimbeck, 49 Broad Street, P. O. Box 519, Granville WV 26534-0519 > 304-599-7585 fax 4131 ~ dcsoinks(a)comcast.net >

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Wait ‘til you see this …. Mon County Commission Meeting
by Duane Nichols 25 Oct '23

25 Oct '23

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Cheat Lake Relicense Hearing Transcript ~ Document Service in P-2459-279
by Duane Nichols 12 Oct '23

12 Oct '23

From: eService(a)ferc.gov > Date: October 12, 2023 at 9:04:59 AM EDT > Subject: Document Service in P-2459-279 > > On 10/12/2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington D.C., published the following issuance: > > Docket(s): P-2459-279 > Description: Transcript of the September 25, 2023 public scoping meeting re the Lake Lynn Hydroelectric Project under P-2459. > > You can view the issuance at: https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_num=20231012-4000 > > >

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Cheat Lake Hearing ~ Some Were Calm, Many Jammed With Standing Room Only
by Duane Nichols 26 Sep '23

26 Sep '23

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Fate of 300 acres at Cheat Lake is unclear after dam proposal
by Duane Nichols 20 Sep '23

20 Sep '23

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Historic Mt. Chateau on Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols 02 Jul '23

02 Jul '23

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West Virginia officials break ground on section of US-48 expressway - West Virginia Explorer
by Duane Nichols 12 Jun '23

12 Jun '23

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West Virginia Land Trust · Shavers Fork Float Trip
by Duane Nichols 16 May '23

16 May '23

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Fire departments remove SUV from middle of Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols 15 May '23

15 May '23

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Trailhead Stewards Training
by Duane Nichols 14 May '23

14 May '23

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Ohio River named Second Most Endangered River
by Duane Nichols 12 May '23

12 May '23

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DEP touts $26 million in funds heading toward economic development projects - WV MetroNews
by Duane Nichols 09 May '23

09 May '23

https://wvmetronews.com/2023/05/07/dep-touts-26-million-in-funds-heading-to… DEP touts $26 million in funds heading toward economic development projects From an Article by Mike Nolting, WV Metro News, May 7, 2023 CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice and state DEP Secretary Harold Ward have announced nearly $26 million in federal grants for six Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program projects. DEP spokesman Terry Fletcher said the program is administered by the Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation with funds from the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. “Great projects all over the state that are reclaiming these abandoned mine lands, putting them to use for our communities, and cleaning up the environment at the same time,” Fletcher said. The projects announced last week for AMLER funding include just more than $3 million for the Cinderella Adventure Resort in Mingo County. The project is on 4,600 acres in the town of Cinderella, which includes 22 miles of Hatfield McCoy Trails. When fully funded, the proposed project will include Cinderella Adventure Lake, a restaurant-store-event center and entertainment venue, a conference center, 15 cabins, 20 RV sites, and a renovation of the historic Cinderella Company. A state-of-the-art trailside campground and up to seven miles of new bike trails for the new Mountain Trail Network in Wood County will receive $2.6 million. Tucker County has been awarded about $727,000 for the Tap Room Coworking Synergy Center and Apartments, which will provide a small business center with support services. Tucker County will also receive $12.5 million for the construction of the Davis Center Headquarters facility, which will be dedicated to mixed use for the community, according to Fletcher. “A dormitory-style building as well as multi-family dwelling units, a STEM programing center, a canine facility, office spaces, a Community Rec Center, and wellness facilities,” Fletcher said. McDowell County was awarded just more than $2 million for the construction of a 900-acre local law enforcement and military training center. That project includes a main operations building, a less-than-lethal training facility, shooting ranges, and a 300-acre land navigation and wilderness survival area. Harrison County has been awarded $5 million for the I-79 Stonewood Development. The area is 393 acres of former strip-mined land on both sides of the interstate. Harrison County Commissioner Patsy Trecost said work is almost complete for the permitting process, and then they’ll focus on developing the infrastructure for the future. “With the permits in place, Katie bar the door,” Trecost said. “But with the property we’re talking about, it’s going to be easy to attract whatever we want to attract.” Trecost said they would like to bring commercial and industrial partners that would bring good-paying jobs to the community, but the immediate focus is on expanding residential offerings. The growing North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB) and AeroTech Business Park continue to create jobs, adding to the estimated $1 billion economic impact on the region each year. “And more and more people are working from home, so when we say residential living, we’re not just talking about where they live; often we’re talking about where they make their living,” Trecost said. Companies located at CKB like Aurora Flight Sciences and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have current openings for high-paying aircraft-related jobs. Training for these jobs is available on the airport grounds through the FAA-certified Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School through Pierpont Community & Technical College and FAA-certified Part 141 Professional Flight programs through Fairmont State University. “There is so much opportunity for you that you have a job the day you earn your certificate, and you don’t have to worry about anything and these are not minimum wage jobs; these are jobs where you can provide for your family and there is health care,” Trecost said. xxx

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TURNING WASTE WATER INTO PROFIT ~ Research @ WVU on YouTube
by Duane Nichols 01 May '23

01 May '23

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West Virginia Ramp Dinners & Festivals - West Virginia Explorer
by Duane Nichols 23 Apr '23

23 Apr '23

https://wvexplorer.com/recreation/agritourism/ramp-dinners-festivals/

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Activities Underway in West Virginia to Address the PFAS Issues ~ Traces are Toxic
by Duane Nichols 16 Mar '23

16 Mar '23

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When and how to watch WV bald eagle eggs hatch
by Duane Nichols 10 Mar '23

10 Mar '23

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West Virginia Wild: Crews Carve Out Corridor H Through the Appalachian Mountains | Engineering News-Record
by Duane Nichols 02 Mar '23

02 Mar '23

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Timber Controversy | The Intermountain Newspaper, November 15, 2022
by Duane Nichols 15 Nov '22

15 Nov '22

https://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2022/11/timber-controversy/ Timber Controversy ~ Protesters met by counter-protesters in Elkins Local News by Edgar Kelley, Staff Writer, The Intermountain Newspaper, 11/15/22 The Inter-Mountain photos by Edgar Kelley A group of activists and community members were joined by several organizations Monday at the Monongahela National Forest Headquarters in Elkins for a protest against a planned project at the Upper Cheat River Project Area. ELKINS — A group that gathered to protest a planned project for the Upper Cheat River Project Area Monday at the Monongahela National Forest Headquarters on Sycamore Street were met by a group of counter-protesters. The 86,138-acre project area is located north of Parsons and encompasses 33,991 acres of National Forest System land within the Upper Cheat River watershed. According to U.S. Forest Service documents, the purpose of the project is to improve forest health and age class diversity, improve wildlife and fish habitat, restore soils and riparian corridors, and provide a network of sustainable roads. As part of the project, commercial regeneration harvests (clear cuts) have been proposed for 3,647 acres dispersed among about 140 separate units throughout the project area. Activists and community members joined the West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club, Speak For the Trees Too, Friends of Blackwater, West Virginia Highland Conservancy, and West Virginia Environmental Council Monday to voice their opposition against the project Monday in Elkins. “This year West Virginia has suffered the effects of flooding from extreme weather — a trend that will only get worse as climate change intensifies in the decades ahead,” said Sierra Club member Jim Kotcon. “Clear-cuts planned on the Upper Cheat Headwaters would remove trees on steep slopes, which increases the risks of flooding. “Cutting down these trees makes no sense, especially because they are the best at fighting climate change by sequestering carbon. The answer is literally standing right in front of us — we need to preserve these trees.” The group of counter-protesters, however, support the planned project. Eric Carlson, executive director for West Virginia Forestry Association, rallied a group to come together and show support for the proposed project at the Forestry Headquarters Monday. “The reason we are here today is because this forest for the last several decades has not had the kind of attention in needed in order to improve and make it a healthy forest,” Carlson told The Inter-Mountain. “In this latest project that has been proposed, it is an area where they are going in and try to restore some upper highland spruce forests, restore the old forest that has been there, and to regenerate the forest in a good condition to try an deal with some of the non-native species. It’s a very light treatment, they’re are only going to treat about 3% of the project area that is under consideration.” Carlson, who represents forest owners, loggers and manufacturers that produce wood for product of all types, said companies are going to spend millions of dollars for the right to work with the Forest Service to acquire the timber harvesting of the wood. “Up to 25 % of the money comes back to our counties for schools and roads to educate out children here, so we think that’s really an important connection to the community,” Carlson said. “Just look around Elkins. a lot of the jobs here are with the flooring plant, the saw mills and the cabinet factories.” For more information on the proposed project, visit www.fs.usda.gov.

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Rally held in Elkins to protect trees within Monongahela National Forest - WV MetroNews
by Duane Nichols 15 Nov '22

15 Nov '22

https://wvmetronews.com/2022/11/14/rally-held-in-elkins-to-protect-trees-wi… Rally held in Elkins to protect trees within Monongahela National Forest From the MetroNews Service, November 14, 2022 ELKINS, W.Va. — Conservation advocates are urging federal officials to protect mature and old-growth trees in the Upper Cheat River within the Monongahela National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service is proposing a project that would clearcut 3,500 acres of mature, old-growth trees in the area, according to John Coleman with the Horseshoe Run Community group. Coleman told MetroNews the project would log forests on very steep slopes, leading to increased risk of flooding and sediment deposition in the rivers and streams. “Living inside the project boundary, a bunch of us here in the community are concerned about the flooding and a number of other things that would be a result of this project,” Coleman said. Coleman joined advocates with Speak For The Trees Too, West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club, Friends of Blackwater, West Virginia Environmental Council and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy for an afternoon rally outside the U.S. Forest Service office in Elkins on Monday. “The community here is trying to negotiate with the Forest Service to improve the project in some ways and maybe reduce some of the cutting on the sleep slopes, but we actually haven’t heard back from the Forest Service,” he said. Protecting our mature and old-growth forests is one of the most affordable and effective solutions to address climate change, protect biodiversity, and provide access to clean water at home and demonstrate global leadership. #COP27 — Sierra Club (@SierraClub) November 14, 2022 In addition to flooding concerns, Coleman said he’s also worried about invasive weeds that are coming off the national forest. “Unfortunately, they got planted back in the 1970s and 1980s. The forest service planted a lot of shrubs for wildlife habitat, but unfortunately those have spread across not only the national forest, but off into our farm, others farms and people’s property,” he said. The forest provides clean drinking water and flood protection for communities, wildlife habitat for endangered species and miles of trails to explore the outdoors, Coleman said. “We get our drinking water right off the forest. The national forest is 50-75 feet behind our house and our spring is right there, so I would really like the forest to spend some time figuring out how to protect people’s drinking water supply,” he said. Advocates also fear that opening the canopy will increase temperatures in cold-water streams that native brook trout require for their survival. The move would impact important habitat for other species like long-eared bats and hellbender salamanders. Monday’s rally was part of a nationwide effort to protect trees in national forests. A spokesperson with the U.S. Forest Service wrote in an email to MetroNews on Monday, “We continue working jointly with our colleagues at the Department of Interior to both determine definitions and complete an inventory of old-growth and mature forests on lands managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management by April, 2023, as tasked in Executive Order 14072. Synthesizing old-growth forest information on a national scale is a critical first step to informing further science questions and future management actions.” xxx

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Attention: Cheat Lake Property Owners & Boaters
by Duane Nichols 21 Oct '22

21 Oct '22

(Photo of Labor Day boat party in Ruble Run backwater) Attention: Cheat Lake Property Owners & Boaters Starting at 12:00 a.m. on November 1, 2022, winter lake level limits will go into effect on Cheat Lake. At that time, minimum reservoir levels will decrease from 868 feet above sea level to 857’. Please remove all docks prior to this time. Winter lake levels will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2023. The winter boat launch ramp at the Cheat Lake Park (at the end of Morgan Run Road) will be open from November 1, 2022 until May 1, 2023 to accommodate boaters who wish to launch a boat on Cheat Lake. Lake Lynn Generation maintains levels at Cheat Lake in accordance with the FERC license. [Morgantown Dominion Post, Page A-2, Friday, October 21, 2022].

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Trout for the Cheat River
by Duane Nichols 20 Oct '22

20 Oct '22

Trout for Cheat begins fall stocking | Preston County News | wvnews.com/10-18-22 https://www.wvnews.com/prestoncountynews/news/trout-for-cheat-begins-fall-s… KINGWOOD — Trout for Cheat is celebrating its 22nd year of stocking the Cheat River. On Friday, members of the group stocked the river from the U.S. 50 bridge to one mile above Pringle Run, according to Jim White, president of the group. White said that with the help of students from the ChalleNGe Academy and members of the Preston County Sheriff’s Department, 1,700 pounds of rainbow trout and a few golden trout were stocked during 22 stops along the river. Cadets carry the fish to the river, and deputies handle traffic control while the caravan of cars stops to let the fish be carried to the river in large tubs. All the people who help stock the river are volunteers. All the fish come from a West Virginia vendor, according to White. He said half of the trout stocked weighted between 1 and 2 pounds, and the other half between 3 and 4 pounds. “We’re saving the big ones for spring,” White said. “We stock eight times a year — four times in spring and four times in fall.” Newly elected members of Trout for Cheat are White, president; Jon Hunter, vice president; Bobby Peddicord, secretary; and Jim Darlington, sergeant at arms. Other board members are Bo Burnside and J.R. Baldwin. White said money to stock the river comes from donations and from a February Gun Bash that’s held at the Craig Civic Center. Donations to Trout for Cheat can be sent to Trout for Cheat, Box 261, Rowlesburg, WV 26435. Staff Writer Jeniffer Graham can be reached at jgraham(a)prestonnj.com

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OP-ED | Invest In The Future, Not A Dirty Deal | CT News Junkie
by Duane Nichols 24 Sep '22

24 Sep '22

https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2022/09/23/op-ed-invest-in-the-future-not-a-dirty-… OP-ED | Invest In The Future, Not A Dirty Deal Article by Anthony Cherolis, CT News Junkie, September 23, 2022 Contributing columnist Anthony Cherolis is bicycling across North America and will be sending us occasional updates on what he’s seeing in other states and cities in terms of better transportation infrastructure and policy. You can follow his journey on Instagram. There has been a lot in the news lately about the “Dirty Deal” struck in Congress by legislators working to get the Inflation Reduction Act passed. The follow on bill was negotiated by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia, who had been blocking the passage of the larger bill. The bill would fast-track several fossil-fuel projects including the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia. While bicycle touring through this region and the stunning Ohio River Valley, I was struck by the economic woes of the cities and towns. Extractive oil and coal industries are at the same time surging (fracking for fossil gas) and waning (coal plants shutting down). Finding restaurants, drug stores, and grocery stores was difficult, even though I was passing through once bustling river towns and rail depots. The town of Cheshire, Ohio, in the shadow of the Gavin power plant’s towering chimneys, is a literal ghost town that was bought out by the power company for $20 million to address persistent pollution and future liability. That plant is now facing closure for long violating regulations that coal ash storage ponds be lined to prevent groundwater pollution. Smokestacks and cooling towers can be seen from the ghost town of Cheshire, Ohio. The town was bought out by the nearby coal power plant to address recurring pollution issues. This shift away from fossil fuels is a real and important change happening to regions in Southeast Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Longtime residents are rightfully worried and upset by mandates and environmental laws that reduce employment, shutter power plants, and leave sad shells of once vibrant towns. Those residents are looking for solutions, politically and legislatively, that maintain jobs and bring prosperity (and people) back to their communities. A focus on paying rent, a job to do today, and economic stability for their family and friends often outweighs the less focused and complicated task of maintaining a survivable and productive climate on Earth. These areas are teetering near the edge of viability. State and local leaders, along with representative in Congress, must look for sustainable policy, green energy investments, infrastructure projects, and tourism opportunities that provide the jobs, pride, and quality of life that these communities deserve. As I mentioned, the Ohio River Valley and surrounding hills are beautiful. Riverside hotels, boating tours, hiking trails, and walkable town centers should be jointly marketed to those in nearby cities and land-locked towns looking to get away for a relaxing weekend with a river view. Gallipolis, Ohio seems to have figured out the day trip and tourism market with an inviting town center, riverfront park, nearby trails, and natural areas. Gallipolis, Ohio was one bustling town that seems to have capitalized on a scenic riverfront location, walkable town center, and nearby trails. Bladen Landing is a riverfront restaurant with bed and breakfast cabins overlooking the Ohio River. Rebecca and Chris live onsite and recently added the cabins, finding them to be a good investment. Another near term investment is federal funding for West Virginia and Pennsylvania to close the gaps in the North Bend Rail Trail and Sheepskin Trail, creating a biking, walking, and jogging corridor from Parkersburg, WV all the way to the Great Allegheny Passage. A few segments are missing in what could be an amazing route, including the 5-mile link from the West Virginia University campus to Parkersburg on the Ohio River. That struggling West Virginia city could desperately use the investment and a better, bike-able connection to the young adults at the university. All along the rail trail, rail-stop towns would benefit from restaurant, camp store, bike shop, and bed-and-breakfast customers spending money and keeping local folks employed. Longterm local jobs could be tied to this project if it were identified as a linear National Park, similar to the C&O Canal Trail between Cumberland, MD and Washington, DC. One thing I noticed while cycling through West Virginia was the common smell of fuel from small oil wells and storage tanks visible from the North Bend Rail Trail. If one can smell the fuel from several hundred feet away, there is definitely leakage of methane and evaporation of harmful volatile organic compounds from these small operations. That is concerning both from a health perspective and relative to climate change. Methane is a much more powerful heat trapping greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. West Virginia and rural Pennsylvania small towns would benefit from completing the small remaining gaps in a rail and river trail connecting Parkersburg, WV to the existing and popular Great Allegheny Passage trail. Cycling through the tunnels on the North Bend Rail Trail in West Virginia was magical. Investments in hillside and rooftop solar, ridgetop wind turbines, and geothermal installations would offset the jobs and pride lost in the transition away from fossil fuels and coal power plants. Instead of continuing with a regressive and polluting fossil fuel pipeline deal in Congress, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania legislators should push for a green energy future and home/business energy efficiency programs. The energy grid and power generation has multi-state, global, and federal impacts. The transition away from fossil fuels needs to be at that federal level with significant offsetting investments. Without a just transition, residents and voters are unlikely to support the needed changes. We can take these same lessons back to any state with industries and priorities in transition. For example in Connecticut, building more Cold War era nuclear submarines should be a much lower priority than developing the wind turbine, geothermal, and rooftop solar industries. Investing now in these future technologies and workforce would line Connecticut up to be the technical and manufacturing resource for the wider Northeast and East Coast. Skilled engineers, welders, electricians, and machinists would gladly do that work if it were available. There would be plentiful jobs in those sustainable-future industries for entry-level installation technicians and maintenance workers. Similar to coal-plant mercury pollution that travels to the Northeast in the clouds, the climate emergency does not pay attention to state lines. Something you can do: Reach out to your Congress members with a phone call or email and let them know what their priorities should be for industries, job training, and technology development investments. Pay attention to those topics as you research candidates who are running for election this November. Does your candidate have a platform that invests in a sustainable and less-polluted future, or are they supporting the status quo? ######++++++######++++++###### From: West Virginia Rivers Coalition ...... Don't Sacrifice West Virginia's Rights to Fair and Equal Protections Under Federal Law https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/eisa/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=…

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Outdoor recreation rental facility opens in Morgantown | 104.5 FM & 1440 AM | The Voice of Morgantown | Morgantown, WV
by Duane Nichols 03 Sep '22

03 Sep '22

https://wajr.com/outdoor-recreation-rental-facility-opens-in-morgantown/?fb… Outdoor recreation rental facility opens in Morgantown mikenoltingSeptember 2, 2022 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Adventure WV is now operating the newly constructed outdoor recreation rental facility at the Walnut Street Landing. Residents can now expect expanded recreation opportunities along the Monongalia River. Residents can rent kayaks, paddleboards, PFDs, bicycles, helmets and more. Youth Personal Floatation Devices (PFD) are available, and additional child- and family-friendly equipment will be added this spring. Labor Day weekend hours of operation are 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday and from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The future schedule will be adjusted to meet the needs of users. Rental rates start at $10.00 per hour for comfort bikes and kayaks for community members, discounts will be offered for WVU affiliates and students. A valid driver’s license or WVU ID is required for renting equipment, and only cashless payments are accepted. “We’re thrilled to bring another unique recreational opportunity to Morgantown,” said Emily Muzzarelli, assistant city manager for the City of Morgantown. “Expanding the use of the Monongalia River and rail-trail system allows Morgantown to better serve its residents and visitors. Adventure WV has the expertise when it comes to outdoor recreation, so we are incredibly excited to be partnering with them on this project. It’s a really great addition to Walnut Street Landing and the improvements made at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park.” Adventure WV is a West Virginia University program that encourages personal growth, leadership development and social responsibility through participation in outdoor activities such as hiking, paddling, climbing, ziplining and more. “Morgantown is fortunate to have two great recreational assets in the Mon River and the Rail Trail system. Now, with the opening of a rental service, more residents, students and visitors can take advantage of both,” said Nathan Harlan, executive director of the Office of Student Wellness. “WVU is excited to partner with the City of Morgantown to bring their experience with outdoor recreation (through Adventure WV) to help provide boats, bikes and other rec equipment for rental right on the river and trail.”

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Trail Segments — The Sheepskin Trail
by Duane Nichols 09 Jul '22

09 Jul '22

https://www.sheepskintrail.org/trail-segments Sent from my iPad, DGN

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Forest Service Open House, Parsons, June 22 @ 6 to 7:30 pm
by Duane Nichols 20 Jun '22

20 Jun '22

> Subject: Forest Service Open House, Parsons, June 22 @ 6 to 7:30 pm > > > The Upper Cheat River Water Trail > June 17 at 10:26 PM · > The Forest Service is having an open-house June 22 6-7:30pm in Parsons. It concerns the #UpperCheatRiver proposal to clearcut 3,500 acres of older forest including #oldgrowth. visit Speak For The Trees Too or see below for details > > > Speak For The Trees Too > June 17 at 9:35 PM · > Forest Service is hosting an open-house June 22 at 6-7:30pm in Parsons at the firehouse. Here's a chance to give your opinion in person on the #UpperCheatRiver proposed project to #clearcut 3,500 acres of older forest. Or send jonathan.morgan(a)usda.gov the district ranger your opinion. > > >

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TDS Values of Local Interest
by Duane Nichols 27 May '22

27 May '22

Measurements from 4 PM today, Friday, May 27. Total dissolved solids (TDS) measured as conductivity ..... Conductivity is measured in micromhos per centimeter (µmhos/cm) or microsiemens per centimeter (µs/cm). Distilled water has a conductivity in the range of 0.5 to 3 µmhos/cm. The conductivity of rivers in the United States generally ranges from 50 to 1500 µmhos/cm. 1. Cheat Lake @ Emma Kaufmann Camp .... 53 micromho per centimeter 2. Monongahela River at Pt. Marion Lock ..... 275 (Recorded by USGS continuous monitor) 3. Tap Water, Morgantown Utility Board ..... 117

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West Virginia Botanic Garden, Morgantown, West Virginia's Hidden Gem for Hiking and Flowers - YouTube
by Duane Nichols 13 Apr '22

13 Apr '22

https://youtu.be/De5gXuVr1QU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De5gXuVr1QU Hi! We are Pam and Kathrine, sisters from southwestern Pennsylvania who love to explore the world in between our 9-5 working lives. Since 2017, we have been documenting and writing about travel on our blog, Everywhere Forward. Our blog is full of local experiences in the Pennsylvania and West Virginia regions, as well as our national and international adventures. We're here to share with you how we balance traveling with full-time jobs. In this vlog, we visit the West Virginia Botanic Garden, a beautiful hidden gem just outside Morgantown West Virginia. The West Virginia Botanic Garden is one of our favorite places to hike and explore near Morgantown. Come learn about local history and explore this unique hiking spot! See also: https://youtu.be/8_IN8QDqG1s

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Historic Mont Chateau ~ Fortunately Sale Didn’t Happen
by Duane Nichols 12 Apr '22

12 Apr '22

John MayHistoric Mont Chateau October 7, 2021 · Unable to generate income from the Park, and given the neglected state of the Lodge, DNR recommended that Mont Chateau be sold. Per the DNR Director, “The public doesn’t support it. It never has been popular since the day it was built.” A resolution to sell the property for not less than $1,000,000 was proposed in the 1977 Legislative session. The rationale given for the proposal was that, “as of late, Mont Chateau operated more as a hotel than a park and did not fit into the scheme of the State Park system because it only had 42 acres that were not suitable for recreational development”. Per the chairperson of the House Parks sub-committee, “It will cost much to upgrade the park in a condition that will not embarrass the State and dim the image of the other State Parks. On the other hand, we do believe the park can be easily sold to the adjoining country club or land developers on Cheat Lake.” From the Morgantown Dominion Post, 1/12/1977:

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West Virginia's ultimate Appalachian road trip north
by Duane Nichols 29 Mar '22

29 Mar '22

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/appalachian-road-trip-west-virginia The ultimate Appalachian road trip through West Virginia Amy C. Balfour, Lonely Planet, March 28, 2022 Country roads may not take you home on this curvy drive through the Appalachians, but the gorgeous views and small-town hospitality make it clear why West Virginians embrace John Denver’s classic song. This adventure is made for driving, with scenic backroads twisting up mountains, crossing ancient rivers, and swooping through hardwood forests. The route kicks off in the Eastern Panhandle then rolls through Morgantown, Charleston, the New River Gorge, the Greenbrier Valley, and Canaan Valley. From hot dogs to hot springs, a trove of roadside attractions await. Plan to spend at least a week on this drive. One bonus? State parks are free in the Mountain State. The town of Harpers Ferry is well-preserved as a National Historical Park. © Courtesy of West Virginia Department of Tourism Stop 1: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Walking along the cobblestone streets of Lower Town in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, one would hardly be surprised to see Thomas Jefferson striding along the streets lined with historic buildings. He called the view from a hill above town “one of the most stupendous scenes in nature.” Abolitionist John Brown, who attempted to spark up a slave revolt here in 1859, would likely recognize the backdrop too – the centuries-old structures are remarkably well-preserved. Today exhibits inside these historic buildings spotlight key events in the community’s history. Fun fact: Harpers Ferry is the easternmost point in the state, located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. The chalet-style Bavarian Inn overlooks the Potomac in Shepherdstown, another historical town nearby. Grab breakfast at Betty’s, a compact diner dishing up home-cooked food that’s just as outstanding as the friendly service. Route: Follow I-68E through Maryland. Stop 2: Overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest The view of the Cheat Mountain River Gorge from the overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest is an inspirational introduction to the Mountain State’s mountain-and-forest beauty. The park has 50 campsites across two campgrounds, and canvas glamping tents are also available. Non-campers should head to one of the hotels in Morgantown, home to West Virginia University, for an overnight stay — the newly renovated Hotel Morgan is a top choice. Join WVU students at Mario’s Fishbowl for tasty pub fare and enormous draft beers – served in fishbowl-sized goblets! The main overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest overlooks the Cheat River as it flows through Cheat Canyon. Route: From Morgantown, follow I-79S 20 miles to Fairmont. Stop 3: Yann’s Hot Dog Stand Whatever you do, don’t ask for ketchup when ordering your hot dog at this legendary food hut (300 Washington St) in downtown Fairmont. Just accept the slathering of mustard, onions, and spicy sauce, and give a nod to its messy glory. Open since 1927, Yann’s served low-cost hot dogs and pepperoni rolls to miners and railroad workers over the decades. Today, acolytes descend upon the eatery from across the state. Route: Follow I-79S for 40 miles to Weston. Stop 4: Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum & the Museum of American Glass The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston isn’t for the easily spooked. A stone-cut behemoth stretching nearly one-quarter of a mile, this Gothic-style facility was a mental hospital until 1994. Eventually renamed Weston State Hospital, the complex treated patients for more than 150 years. Tours explore everything from the history of the hospital to paranormal shenanigans. Downtown, the Museum of American Glass showcases the region’s glass-making heritage and prowess. The expansive collection of colorful glassworks includes marbles, bottles, and tableware. After you’ve worked up an appetite exploring, try the potato encrusted salmon at Thyme Bistro- the dish is renowned across the state. Route: Continue 100 miles south to Charleston, the state capital. Stop 5: West Virginia State Museum A designated path rolls past 26 discovery rooms inside this compelling museum. Each room is dedicated to diving deep into the most important geologic, historical, and cultural stories of the Mountain State. The museum is on the grounds of the state capitol complex, which is anchored by the capitol building and its eye-catching gold-leaf dome. The Kanawha River flows past just a few steps away. Taylor Books is a lively downtown bookstore with a coffee shop and art gallery. On a sunny day, you might see lawyers, legislators, and tourists sharing the patio at Pies & Pints next door. A full homemade breakfast is served at the well-appointed Brass Pineapple, a B&B close to the capitol complex. Route: Route 60, also known as the Midland Trail National Scenic Byway, follows the Kanawha River east then climbs into the surrounding Appalachians. Stop by the 7th-generation JQ Dickinson Salt-Works in Malden, where the prized gourmet salt is mined by hand. Thirty-five miles ahead? The gravitational wackiness of the Mystery Hole. Stop 6: Hawks Nest State Park In a state filled with fantastic views, the overlook at Hawks Nest State Park is one of the most fantastic. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the viewpoint takes in the New River Gorge and its forested slopes. An aerial tram drops from the park’s lodge to a riverside marina. Watch as jet boats speed out for views of the New River Gorge Bridge. For views with brews, settle in on the riverside deck at Smokey’s, a bbq-and-burger joint at Adventures on the Gorge. Route: Follow Rte 60 through Ansted to US-19S. Turn right and take it to the national park. Stop 7: New River Gorge National Park & Preserve As America’s newest National Park, a stop at the New River Gorge is a must. Check out the view of the park’s centerpiece, the New River Gorge Bridge, from the overlook behind the visitor center. The rugged gorge was carved by one of the oldest rivers in the world, the New River, and the park runs along a 53 mile stretch of it. Get even closer to the bridge with a guided Bridgewalk tour, which has daring adventurers clank along the catwalk beneath the span, serving up dizzying views of the river more than 850ft below. The park is an outdoor activity epicenter known for hiking, rock climbing, rafting, mountain biking, and scenic drives. Feeling hungry? Sandwiches and lattes are served under stained glass windows at the Cathedral Cafe, a former church. Both Adventures on the Gorge and ACE Adventure Resort have cabins available to rent for overnight stays. Route: It’s a 30-minute drive from the visitor center to Tamarack via US-19S and I-64E. Stop 8: Tamarack A stroll around Tamarack is a fulfilling artistic and cultural journey around the state, with crafts and artwork for sale from more than 2,800 West Virginia artists. Short-term exhibitions in the fine arts gallery showcase the state’s best craftsmanship, with rotating shows that vary by theme. The restaurant serves comfort food and locally sourced fare, including West Virginia trout, fried green tomato sandwiches, and The Greenbrier’s peaches and cream, a popular dessert served at the nearby luxury resort. (More on The Greenbrier below!) Tamarack offers local crafts and art for sale. © Courtesy of the West Virginia Department of Tourism Route: Follow I-64E to Hwy 3E. Hold on tight for this curvy ride up and over the mountains. Continue north on Rt 26. Sandstone Falls is about 40 miles southeast of Tamarack. Stop 9: Sandstone Falls An eight-mile drive through New River Gorge National Park along the New River ribbons past gentle rapids, weathered trains, and waterfront homes on the way to another gem of the park: Sandstone Falls. One unusual sight? The river flows north – a fairly rare occurrence in the United States. Once you’ve reached the falls parking lot, take the wooden boardwalk as it crosses a soggy forest and ends at an observation platform with a view of the falls, which stretch 1,500 feet across the river. Nearby, Hinton, a former rail hub, is home to the Hinton Railroad Museum. The welcoming Market on Courthouse Square serves sandwiches and pizzas beside a pretty red-brick street dating from the 1870s. Route: Rte 3 E crosses downtown Hinton then follows the Greenbrier River out of town. Follow Rte 3 and several country roads on the 50-mile drive east. Stop 10: Bunker Tour at The Greenbrier For decades, The Greenbrier resort, a swanky, white-columned retreat, held a secret of highly-classified proportions. A vast bunker, carved into an adjacent hillside in 1958, lay in wait for the unthinkable – a nuclear attack on the US. In the event of a nuclear strike, members of Congress would relocate to the bunker for safety. An article in the Washington Post revealed its existence in 1992. Today, tours explore the facility, which holds 18 dorms, a power plant, a clinic, a cafeteria, and meeting rooms. Back above ground, the resort has plush rooms across various wings and cottages. Another overnight option is the historic General Lewis Inn in nearby Lewisburg. Live music, good pizzas, and cold beer are on tap at Lewisburg’s Hill & Holler, housed in a rustic cabin downtown. Route: Follow Rte 92N to Rte 66W. It’s just over sixty miles to the next stop. Cass Scenic Railroad State Park lets visitors experience West Virginia’s history. Stop 11: Cass Scenic Railroad State Park A steam train chugs to the summit of Bald Knob, the third-highest peak in the state, where views of mountains and valleys extend for miles. A lumber town for much of the 1900s, Cass today is a historic village and the home of five powerful Shay locomotives. The class C-80 Shay #5 has climbed Cheat Mountain – an elevation gain of 2,390 feet over 11 miles – for 115 years. Trips to the summit last about 4 1/2 hours. The multi-use Greenbrier River Trail is a pretty spot for a stroll. For a unique overnight stay, spend the night in one of the white-clapboard Cass company houses, once the homes of railroad workers. Route: It’s fifty miles of mountain-and-forest driving to Seneca Rocks via Rte 92N and Rte 28N, with the final leg on US-33W. Stop 12: Seneca Rocks A jagged fin rising from a sea of forested hills, the peaks of Seneca Rocks are one of the most iconic sites in West Virginia. They’re also a hotspot for rock climbing, and climbers have tackled the formation’s sheer flanks since the 1930s. Sign up for a rock-climbing class with a local outfitter or simply hike the short trail that climbs to a rocks-adjacent observation platform. From here, you can see 4,863 foot-high Spruce Knob, the highest point in the state. Managed by the Monongahela National Forest Service, the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center has loads of information about outdoor recreation in the region (Mar-Oct). Route: Follow US-33W to Rte 32N through Davis to Blackwater Falls. It’s a 45-minute drive. Seneca Rocks in the Monongahela National Forest are an iconic landmark beloved by climbers. Stop 13: Blackwater Falls State Park The robust Blackwater Falls tumble 57 feet into a tree-lined gorge. Tannic acid released by fallen hemlocks and red spruce needles gives the falls its unique amber hue. There are more than 20 miles of hiking trails to explore here, plus more than three dozen furnished cabins are available for rent, and a midcentury lodge (also inside the park) boasts views of Blackwater Canyon. Route: It’s four miles to Thomas. Follow Blackwater Falls Rd to Rt 32N. Stop 14: Purple Fiddle With its pressed-tin ceiling, wooden floor, and quaint collection of antique knick-knackery, the interior of the Purple Fiddle in Thomas resembles the small country stores that dot Appalachia. But the Purple Fiddle becomes something different altogether at night when musicians raise the roof – and sometimes croon sad songs – from the corner stage. The Fiddle is a hotspot for up-and-coming musicians as well as established acts, often playing songs infused with the musical sounds of Appalachia. They serve good sandwiches, too! Located in an old general store, The Purple Fiddle still serves up deli classics, though it's best known as a venue for live music. Route: It’s a 104-mile return to the eastern panhandle. Take US-48E to Rte 93E. Then take I-68E to US-522S into Berkeley Springs. Stop 15: Berkeley Springs State Park Inns across the East Coast may brag, “George Washington slept here.” But how many can say that George Washington soaked there? The warm spring waters of Berkeley Springs have attracted travelers for centuries, and one brick-lined tub on the lawn of the state park claims to be Washington’s bathtub! Soak in the Old Roman bathhouse, then fill your thermos from the outdoor spout – the mineral-filled spring water is drinkable and totally free. Enjoy fine farm-to-table fare at Tari’s, then conclude this trip with a comfy night at the Country Inn of Berkeley Springs. Want more inspiration for your West Virginia road trip? Request a free vacation guide. xxx

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Home | MMMPO
by Duane Nichols 20 Mar '22

20 Mar '22

METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE Check out the DRAFT 2050 MTP! The Public review period runs until May 10th. The purpose of this project is to examine regional transportation systems within and around Morgantown, WV, recommending strategic priorities over the next 25 years. By transportation we mean: roads, buses, sidewalks, and accommodations for bicycles. This project webpage serves as a valuable conduit between you (residents and neighbors) and the project team. We are mobility planners and engineers, and we are looking for strategies to continually grow and efficiently move around the Monongalia region. We look forward to your participation as you help us plan the region’s future transportation network. Stay engaged, and be sure to subscribe for project updates that will keep you informed along the way. https://www.mmmpo2050.com/

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Learning About West Virginia | News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer
by Duane Nichols 19 Mar '22

19 Mar '22

https://www.theintelligencer.net/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2022/03/lear… Learning About West Virginia From Levi, Third Grade, Langley School, McLean, Virginia, Mar 19, 2022 To Editor, Wheeling News-Register: Dear people of the great state of West Virginia, Hello, I am a third-grade student in Northern Virginia. Our class is learning about the United States, and I will be teaching our school about the state of West Virginia. In the month of May, I will create a display for our State Fair that I hope will make you proud. Although I have gathered facts about your state from books and websites, I think I can receive the best information from the people who live there. This is why I am writing to you. I am hoping that you would be willing to send me some items to help me learn more about the best things in your state. You might consider sending items such as postcards, pictures, souvenirs, this newspaper article, or any other unique items that would be useful or show your state pride. Here are a few questions: – Why do you live in your state? What first brought your family there? – How do you make money? What is your job? – What does your state look like? – What do people do for fun? – What animals live there? – What traditional food/recipes does your state have? – What type of music is native to your state? – Do you have a state athletic team? – What geographic features are unique to your state? I need to gather all of my information by the second week of May. You can mail items to this address: Mr. Mike Gilchrist’s class, The Langley School, 1411 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101. I really appreciate your help! Levi, The Langley School, McLean, VA

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[Herald-Standard] Something to celebrate
by Duane Nichols 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

https://www.heraldstandard.com/entertainment/local/something-to-celebrate/a… Sent from my iPad, DGN

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Geothermal Energy in West Virginia
by Duane Nichols 15 Mar '22

15 Mar '22

Full WV Senate to consider bill that would set up regulatory program for geothermal energy | Legislative Session | wvgazettemail.com, Mike Tony, March 9, 2022 https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/full-wv-senate-to-co… NOTE ~ WV Senate passed this HB 4098 on March 12, 2022. DGN The full West Virginia Senate will consider a bill that would set up a state regulatory program for geothermal energy. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday advanced House Bill 4098, which would give the Department of Environmental Protection regulatory oversight of geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source within the Earth that is used to heat buildings and provide electricity. HB 4098 would grant ownership rights to geothermal resources to the owner of surface property over the resource unless severance of the geothermal resource is clear in documentation conveying ownership of it. The bill requires the DEP to create a permitting system for geothermal development for which it must establish temperature levels and volumetric flow rates. The legislation would make the agency responsible for establishing rules for geothermal drilling and site reclamation — including proper plugging — after a well no longer is used. West Virginia University geothermal research plans prompted the bill. House Energy and Manufacturing Committee counsel Robert Akers previously told the committee, which was first to approve the bill, that a permit for the university is the only one that would be pending initially under a new geothermal regulatory program. HB 4098 would allow the DEP to issue civil penalties ranging from $100 to $500 for each violation of rules established under the bill, and take civil action against violators in any circuit court where a well is located for injunctive relief. The House Judiciary Committee previously amended the bill to exclude geothermal heating and cooling heat pump systems for private residential dwellings and farm buildings from DEP jurisdiction. The Senate Judiciary Committee amended the bill to make technical changes. Lawmakers intend for the bill to apply to wells thousands of feet underground. Samuel Taylor, assistant director of strategic partnerships and technology at the WVU Energy Institute, handed out PowerPoint slides to Energy and Manufacturing Committee members in January. The slides showed that Northern West Virginia could be a potential “hot spot” for geothermal energy. A map on one slide showed patches of Earth in the region hotter than most of the rest of the Eastern United States. Another slide noted that geothermal could be a popular alternative energy source as companies with local footprints, like Chemours and Dow, strive to meet company-set carbon dioxide emission-reduction goals. The university’s U.S. Department of Energy-funded project includes drilling and sampling a deep-exploratory well to a depth of 15,000 feet to validate subsurface temperatures, according to one of the PowerPoint slides from Taylor. The slide noted a focus of the project is to gauge the potential of heating the university campus using a geothermal resource. West Virginia Environmental Council President Linda Frame said her organization supports the production of geothermal energy but stressed that it be done with minimal disruption to the environment and landowners. xxx

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Donna, can you post this on CLEAR .....
by Duane Nichols 14 Mar '22

14 Mar '22

https://www.wboy.com/news/west-virginia/niche-releases-best-places-to-live-… Niche releases best places to live in WV in 2022 by: Sam Kirk, WBOY News 12, Clarksburg, WV, Mar 14, 2022 CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – You may love or hate where you live, but have you ever wondered what’s the best place to live in West Virginia? Using data from the U.S. Census and the FBI and ratings, Niche has released its top 25 best places to live in each state for 2022. Each town or city was given a letter score in 12 categories to determine rankings. Here are the top six places in West Virginia, according to Niche. #6 Morgantown Home of West Virginia University, Morgantown in Monongalia County is known for being full of young people and full of life. It’s not surprising that Morgantown has a rating of A+ for nightlife, but other notable qualities from Niche include an A rating for public schools and an A ranking for good for families. It also has an A- for outdoor activities and an A+ for commute. Morgantown’s worst rating in Niche’s 12 categories is a C for the weather. #5 Winfield If you value safety, Winfield in Putnam County might be a good place for you. Winfield rates A+ on Niche’s crime & safety category. It also secured A’s in the housing, good for families, and jobs categories. It also scored an A- in public schools and cost of living. The lowest rating Winfield received was a B- in several categories. #4 Star City This Monongalia County town is located just outside of Morgantown, giving it a similar score as Morgantown in several categories. Nightlife is a strong suit for Star City as well as good for families and public schools. Star City does not have a crime and safety rating, however. According to Niche, it offers a “dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes.” The lowest rating in Star City is a C for the weather. #3 Cheat Lake The top-rated place to live in Monongalia County is also the best place in West Virginia to raise a family, according to Niche. Cheat Lake has a rating of A+ for good for families and overall. It also has A’s for public schools, housing and jobs. Like its other Monongalia County locations, it has a C rating for the weather. Cheat Lake does not have a rating for crime and safety, and at least 80% of people who live in Cheat Lake own their own home. #2 Athens With an overall rating of A+, this Mercer County town offers a lower cost of living compared to some of the other top places in the state. Although it has no individual A+ category rankings, it has A’s in housing, good for families, cost of living, and commute. The median home value in Athens is over $100,000 less than the national average, making it more affordable. If high levels of diversity and jobs opportunities are on your must-have list, Athens may not be for you; it has C+ rankings in both categories. #1 Bridgeport Bridgeport in Harrison County has been named the best place to live in West Virginia. It has A rankings in housing, good for families and jobs. It also has several A- in public schools and health & fitness. The lowest categories in Bridgeport are B- in crime & safety, nightlife, weather and commute. Other north central West Virginia places that made the list are Westover at number 13 and Pleasant Valley at number 21. For the full top-25 list of the best places to live in West Virginia, click here.

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HAPPY TRAIL NEWS! construction underway....
by Duane Nichols 05 Mar '22

05 Mar '22

From: Ella Belling <ella(a)montrails.org> > Date: March 5, 2022 at 8:12:28 AM EST > Subject: HAPPY TRAIL NEWS! construction underway.... > > Happy Rail-Trail News! Construction begins on the next stretch of the Sheepskin Trail from Point Marion, PA along the Cheat River /Nilan Road toward the Cheat Lake Dam. There will be another 1.5 miles to explore when they complete this section- will end near Nilan Apostolic Church. I shared the Friends of Sheepskin Trail FB post and you can see more photos there or at MRTC FB page. > > Exciting news but hope everyone stays away from construction area and lets them work without disruption. Cheers, Ella > > Ella Belling, Executive Director, Mon River Trails Conservancy > P.O. Box 282, Morgantown, WV 26507 > http://montrails.org, 304-692-6782

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Cheat Lake Video .. Through the Seasons by Steve Heap
by Duane Nichols 10 Feb '22

10 Feb '22

Cheat Lake through the seasons. A photographic exploration...... https://youtu.be/sJ-I5-Ud76o This exploration of the Cheat Lake near Morgantown in West Virginia couples the dramatic photography of local photographer, Steve Heap, with the story of this lake from its beginnings to the present day. The video illustrates the changes both along the length of the lake but also as the seasons develop and contains some striking images from the air from a drone. This video is also available as an article which is also published with the images used in the video on https://www.BackyardImage.com and you can find these and many more images of the Morgantown area in my online store, https://steven-heap.pixels.com/collec..., available as prints and many other products.

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Is the Coronavirus in Your Backyard? - The New York Times
by Duane Nichols 07 Feb '22

07 Feb '22

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/health/coronavirus-deer-animals.html Is the Coronavirus in Your Backyard? White-tailed deer could become a reservoir for the virus, putting people and animals at risk, health experts say. Feb. 7, 2022, 5:00 a.m. ET Suresh Kuchipudi, a veterinary microbiologist at Penn State University in State College, Pa., with Cashew, a young white-tailed deer in the university’s deer research center.Hannah Yoon for The New York Times In late 2020, the coronavirus silently stalked Iowa’s white-tailed deer. The virus infected large bucks and leggy yearlings. It infiltrated a game preserve in the southeastern corner of the state and popped up in free-ranging deer from Sioux City to Dubuque. When scientists sifted through bits of frozen lymph node tissue — harvested from unlucky deer killed by hunters or cars — they found that more than 60 percent of the deer sampled in December 2020 were infected. “It was stunning,” said Vivek Kapur, a microbiologist and infectious disease expert at Penn State, who led the research. Dr. Kapur and his colleagues have now analyzed samples from more than 4,000 dead Iowa deer, diligently marking the location of each infected animal on a map of the state. “It’s completely mad,” he said. “It looks like it’s everywhere.” From the start of the pandemic, experts were aware that a virus that emerged from animals, as scientists believe SARS-CoV-2 did, could theoretically spread back to animals. Mink have garnered much attention after the virus spread through mink farms in Europe and North America, leading to massive culls of the animals. But white-tailed deer, which may wander into urban and rural backyards, are also easily infected. Infections in free-ranging deer, which display few signs of illness, are tricky to detect and difficult to contain. Deer also live alongside us in dizzying numbers; about 30 million white-tailed deer roam the continental United States. Vivek Kapur, a microbiologist at Penn State University. “It’s completely mad,” he said. “It looks like it’s everywhere.”Hannah Yoon for The New York Times If white-tailed deer become a reservoir for the virus, the pathogen could mutate and spread to other animals or back to us. Adaptation in animals is one route by which new variants are likely to emerge. “This is a top concern right now for the United States,” said Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, who directs the One Health Office — which focuses on connections between human, animal and environmental health — at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “If deer were to become established as a North American wildlife reservoir, and we do think they’re at risk of that, there are real concerns for the health of other wildlife species, livestock, pets and even people,” she added. The virus is likely to continue circulating in deer, many experts predicted. But crucial questions remain unanswered: How are deer catching the virus? How might the pathogen mutate inside its cervid hosts? And could the animals pass it back to us? White-tailed deer are a “black box” for the virus, said Stephanie Seifert, an expert on zoonotic diseases at Washington State University: “We know that the virus has been introduced multiple times, we know that there’s onward transmission. But we don’t know how the virus is adapting or how it will continue to adapt.” Cervid surge A researcher trying to swab a white-tailed deer at a wildlife center at Texas A&M University in College Station.Sergio Flores for The New York Times The coronavirus enters human cells by attaching to what are known as ACE2 receptors. Many mammals have similar versions of these receptors, making them susceptible to infection. Early in the pandemic, scientists analyzed the genetic sequences for ACE2 receptors in hundreds of species to predict which animals might be at risk. Deer ranked high on the list, and laboratory experiments later confirmed that the animals could become infected with the virus as well as transmit it to other deer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service began looking for coronavirus antibodies in blood samples from deer in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania. In July, the agency reported that 40 percent of the animals in those areas had antibodies, suggesting that they had already been infected by the virus. Some months later, Dr. Kapur’s team, which partnered with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, reported that active coronavirus infections were common in Iowa deer, and another group announced that more than one-third of the deer they had swabbed in northeastern Ohio were infected. Genomic analysis suggested that in both Iowa and Ohio, humans had passed the virus to deer multiple times and then the deer readily passed it to one another. “The early detections in companion animals, in mink farms, in zoological collections — those were all different because those were confined populations,” said Dr. Andrew Bowman, a veterinary epidemiologist at Ohio State University, who led the Ohio research. “We didn’t really have a natural setting where the virus could run free.” Whether the virus makes deer sick remains unknown. There is no evidence that infected deer become seriously ill, but humans might not notice if a wild animal was feeling slightly under the weather. And these early studies — which have largely relied on pre-existing disease surveillance or population control projects in deer — provided only a snapshot of what could be a sprawling problem. “I wouldn’t be surprised if more sampling uncovers the fact that these are not necessarily sporadic events,” said Dr. Samira Mubareka, a virologist at Sunnybrook Research Institute and the University of Toronto. In Canada, reports of infected deer are beginning to trickle in from Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. When Dr. Mubareka’s team sequenced virus recovered from Canadian deer, the researchers found it closely matched sequences in Vermont. “Deer don’t respect borders,” said Arinjay Banerjee, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan. Samples taken from deer that tested negative in Dr. Kapur’s lab at Penn State UniversityHannah Yoon for The New York Times ‘No masking, no social distancing’ How humans are transmitting the virus to deer remains an open question. “It’s definitely a mystery to me how they’re getting it,” said Dr. Angela Bosco-Lauth, a zoonotic disease expert at Colorado State University. There are many theories, none entirely satisfying. An infectious hunter might encounter a deer, Dr. Mubareka noted, but “if they’re good at hunting,” she added, “it’s a terminal event for the deer.” If an infected hiker “sneezes and the wind is blowing in the right direction, it could cause an unlucky event,” said Dr. Tony Goldberg, a veterinary epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Or if people feed deer from their porch, they could be sharing more than just food. And white-tailed deer are expert leapers, reaching heights of eight feet. “If you want to fence deer out of a place, you have to be trying very hard,” said Scott Creel, an ecologist at Montana State University. Deer would have no trouble jumping into alfalfa fields to graze alongside cattle, perhaps inviting a close encounter with a farmer, Dr. Creel said. Transmission could also happen indirectly, through wastewater or discarded food or other human-generated trash. “Deer, like most other animals, will sniff before they eat,” Dr. Kapur said. And deer release their feces as they feed, creating conditions where other deer might forage in areas contaminated with waste, or snuffle around waste that has feed mixed in, experts say. But it’s not clear how long the virus would remain viable in a polluted water source or on the surface of a half-eaten apple, or whether enough of it would be present to pose a transmission risk. An intermediate host, such as an itinerant cat, might ferry the virus from humans to deer. Farmed deer, which have frequent contact with humans, might also pass the virus to their wild counterparts through an escapee or their feces, Dr. Seifert said. (More than 94 percent of the deer in one captive site in Texas carried antibodies for the virus, researchers found — more than double the rate found in free-ranging deer in the state.) Dr. Sarah Hamer, a veterinary epidemiologist at Texas A&M University, who is interested in contact tracing of deer to understand how their social interactions influence viral transmission.Sergio Flores for The New York Times It may not require many spillovers for the virus to take off in a herd. Infected deer, which shed virus in nasal secretions and feces and have an infectious period of five to six days, can readily spread the virus to others, said Dr. Diego Diel, a virologist at Cornell University. Wild deer are social — traveling in herds, frequently nuzzling noses and engaging in polygamy — and swap saliva through shared salt licks. And unlike humans, deer have no tools for flattening the curve. “They don’t have rapid antigen tests,” Dr. Banerjee said. Dr. Kapur added, “No masking, no social distancing.” Dr. Sarah Hamer, a veterinary epidemiologist at Texas A&M University, is seeking funding to start contact tracing of deer to understand how their social interactions influence viral transmission. She hopes to use proximity loggers to record the time and duration of the animals’ interactions with one another. “What deer are hanging out with what deer?” Dr. Hamer said. “Are there deer superspreaders?” Research is still in early stages, but understanding how the virus is spreading is essential both for slowing transmission in deer and for protecting other vulnerable wildlife. Deer may graze alongside other cervids, such as boreal woodland caribou, which are endangered in Canada and are a traditional food source of First Nations peoples. And if humans are contaminating the wilderness with the virus, it could threaten other, highly endangered species, such as the black-footed ferret, which experts fear may be vulnerable to the virus. “If it’s in the environment, and we don’t know exactly how it’s in the environment or how it’s spreading, all of a sudden we have these endangered animals that are at even higher risk,” said Kaitlin Sawatzki, a virologist at Tufts University. Knowing how we are giving the virus to deer is also crucial for assessing the risk that they may pass it back to us. “The metaphorical window is open, and we don’t know where,” Dr. Bowman said. Dr. Hamer took a sample from a house cat to see if it had the coronavirus after its family had been infected. Cats could be an intermediate host between humans and deer.Sergio Flores for The New York Times Herd immunity The virus is clearly spreading in deer. But what happens next, and how worried should we be? Many experts said they expected the virus to become established in deer and circulate indefinitely. “If it’s not already established, it’s heading in that direction,” Dr. Mubareka said. The Coronavirus Pandemic: Key Things to Know The state of the virus in the U.S. The coronavirus has now claimed more than 900,000 lives across the country, and the Covid death rates remain alarmingly high. The number of new infections, however, has fallen by more than half since mid-January, and hospitalizations are also declining. Still, scientists said they needed longer-term data to be sure, and the outcome was not a given. Currently, people appear to be reintroducing the virus to deer frequently; but if human case rates fell substantially, and people stopped spreading the virus, it could disappear from deer populations. Moreover, deer do develop antibodies to the virus; if the antibodies are strong enough and enough deer develop them, literal herd immunity could squelch the spread. But scientists know very little about deer immunity. “Does exposure to one variant protect the deer population from subsequent variants?” Dr. Banerjee asked. If the virus does establish itself in deer, it is likely to evolve in ways that help it thrive in its new hosts. A deer-optimized version of the virus would not necessarily be more dangerous for people; the virus might adapt in ways that make humans less hospitable hosts. “If this became ‘Deervid,’ then that would be great,” Dr. Goldberg said. (“Hopefully it would stay benign in deer,” he added.) But the virus could retain its ability to easily infect humans while picking up more worrisome mutations, including ones that might allow it to evade our existing immune defenses. “Even if you got the human population immune and fully vaccinated, if there’s still a reservoir persisting in the animals, then that can allow the virus to continue to evolve,” said Linda Saif, a virologist and immunologist at Ohio State University. There is not yet any evidence that deer are infecting people, and for the foreseeable future, experts agreed, humans are far more likely to catch the virus from one another than from anything with hooves. “Even if deer were infecting people, it’s largely inconsequential in the grand scheme, because millions of people are getting infected from human-to-human transmission,” said Dr. Scott Weese, an infectious diseases veterinarian at the University of Guelph in Ontario. “But it becomes more of a risk as we start to control it.” Hunters, who handle deer carcasses extensively, could be at higher risk for contracting the virus from deer, scientists said. (There is no evidence that people can be infected by eating deer meat cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.) People who hand-feed their local deer — a practice experts warn against — could also be at risk. An abundance of ungulates Dr. Hamer at the deer pen at Texas A&M. Scientists worry that the virus could incubate in deer and morph into a variant capable of spilling back into humans or infect other animals.Sergio Flores for The New York Times Other animals, too, may be at risk from infection from deer. Predators such as mountain lions which kill deer by biting into their trachea or over their nose and mouth, could be infected while feasting. Scientists were relieved when early research suggested that cattle and pigs were minimally susceptible to the virus. But inside the bodies of white-tailed deer, the virus could morph into a pathogen capable of infecting such livestock. “That could be a big problem for food production stability,” Dr. Seifert said. Health officials must stay vigilant, experts said. The U.S.D.A. is now working with state agencies to collect blood samples and nasal swabs from dead deer in more than two dozen states. The work should help experts estimate how many deer have already been infected and whether certain characteristics, from age to habitat type, put some deer at elevated risk. “As we learn more, we will continue to refine and target our surveillance,” said Dr. Tracey Dutcher, the science and biodefense coordinator for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at the U.S.D.A. Long-term genomic surveillance is also needed, experts said. “If we start to see some really divergent viral variants popping up in deer in certain places, that would be a red flag,” Dr. Goldberg said. Depending on what scientists learn in the near future, officials could consider a variety of potential mitigation measures, including vaccinating captive deer, thinning infected herds or cleaning up whatever environmental viral contamination is giving the deer the virus in the first place. “I think we’ve got to get our hands around the situation before we really make plans on where to go,” Dr. Bowman said. For now, scientists also advise keeping a close eye on other wildlife. If the virus is so prevalent in deer, which are relatively easy to sample, it could be silently spreading in other species, too. After all, the only reason scientists found the virus in deer is because they thought to look. “We hadn’t realized it was spread in deer at all,” Dr. Kapur said. “We had no clue.” Sent from my iPad

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'I'd call him an English gentleman': Family describes missing Cheat Lake man
by Duane Nichols 07 Feb '22

07 Feb '22

https://news.yahoo.com/id-call-him-english-gentleman-043700171.html 'I'd call him an English gentleman': Family describes missing Cheat Lake man From an Article by Jim Bissett, Morgantown Dominion Post, February 5, 2022 Feb. 5—It's been more than a month since Bryn Hargreaves last spoke to family in his native England. And when Monongalia County deputies tried the door to his Whisper Creek apartment after he was declared missing Jan. 16, the easy give caught them for a second. That's because it wasn't locked. Once inside, they discovered his wallet and his keys. The clothes in his closet were neatly arrayed on hangers, as always. Nothing was out of place. Well, except for him. He wasn't there. "It was like he was abducted, or he did a walk-around, " his mother, Maria Andrews said this past Thursday in the newsroom of The Dominion Post. She and another son, David Hargreaves, had traveled to the U.S. from their home in Wigan, a working-class city in northern England, right between Manchester and Liverpool, the home of The Beatles. Wigan is known for more than its close proximity to where John, Paul, George and Ringo once roamed. It's also a hotbed for rugby, the rough-and-tumble sport that helped inspire American football, and Bryn Hargreaves, who is now 36, was one the best, turning pro at a young age. He played on championship teams and enjoyed fame, but, like a lot of athletes, he didn't have a long go of it. New shores ~ In 2012, his contract wasn't renewed — in part, because his team was losing money and facing liquidation, his mother said. "So he got disillusioned with the old game, " said Andrews, whose father and brother also played the sport professionally. The year previous, he met an American woman while on holiday in Mexico. A courtship turned into marriage, and that led to a trip across the pond to Pittsburgh, where his new wife had connections. "At 26, he had still had a quite a few years in him, " his mother said. "So he was off to America with the start of a new life." A buddy reaches out ~ Except, it didn't quite click, both his mother and brother said. The marriage didn't last either, and the only job he could was at an engineering firm in the Steel City that did pipeline work and natural gas exploration in the Marcellus shale. "It wasn't the job he wanted, " Andrews said. Still, he made a good go of his employment — with an easy grin and the stiff upper lip of a Brit at the same time. He quickly advanced to the position of project manager. At 6-foot-2 and a muscled 220 pounds, no one was going to outwork him on the job site. His brother said a job transfer for a project brought him to Morgantown right before the pandemic hit two years ago. Which didn't help, both David and his mother said. A co-worker contacted the family asking about Bryn's well-being, David said, when his brother hadn't been seen for a while. Mired in Morgantown ~ Being an ocean away from a close family, while being divorced on top of that, didn't help. Plus, he had a car crash this past Dec. 8, leaving him with a nagging back injury and an undrivable Jeep. He'd been relying on Uber or walking to get around, his family said. David Hargreaves said his brother has been on medical leave since the wreck. The injury has left the once-formidable athlete frustrated, his mother said. It's been a perfect storm for blue feelings, she and David said. "He hasn't been in a good place, " Bryn's brother said. "I think COVID, the crash, the season — Christmas — and I think something along with the medication because of his injury ..." his mother said, trailing off. The search continues ~ Meanwhile, deputies and a volunteer with trained dogs are continuing to search the wooded expanses behind Whisper Creek Apartments and in the Cheat Lake area where the luxury complex is located. "We have people out there almost every day, " said Detective Stephen Currie, the lead investigator on the case. "It hasn't been easy with the snow." A broader search is being planned with the Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, the detective said. There's that, plus the canvassing of all Hargreaves' electronic transactions and other online activity from Google to Apple — "And that takes time, " Currie said. "I know people get frustrated." "We know he's not driving his car, " he said. To date, there have been no eyewitnesses or sightings on surveillance cameras at the businesses and restaurants Hargreaves has been known to frequent. He's a fan of the Primanti Bros. sandwich chain for one, his brother said. Anyone is information is asked contact the Marion County Sheriff's Department at 304-291-7260, the detective said. Private messages may also be left on the department's Facebook page — which now also home to several groups formed to assist in the search. Just type in his name in the search field. "We know the police are doing everything they can, " David Hargreaves said. "And we're so thankful for the support of everyone else, with the social media push." Signature traits ~ If he is out and about, Bryn Hargreaves may be sporting a beard, his brother said. Or, maybe not. There's that distinctive tattoo of the family crest on his right arm, also — which will likely be covered by a coat or jacket — and his size, which can't be missed. While he hasn't kept up with his conditioning, he hasn't gone to fat either, his brother said. He's also left-handed, should you catch him signing his name somewhere. There's that, and his now Angelo-American accent, a distinct mashup that's not fully Yank and no longer 100 % Brit, either. Along with Bryn and David, there's another son in the brood, Gareth, who got married three years ago. That was the last time Bryn was back home, and his brothers teased about his almost-American accent. "He now says 'aluminum, ' whereas we still say 'awl-you-min-EEH-um, '" David remembered. The other thing that's distinctive, he said, is his brother's personality. Despite starring in an extremely aggressive sport, he's gentle and softspoken, his brother said. He plays guitar, does drawing and sketches and is well-read. There's that British drollery, also. Ask him, in American fashion, how he's doing, and wait for the signature response: "Absolutely average." "Everybody loves him, " David said. "I'd call him an English gentleman."

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Trapped miner confirmed dead in Pennsylvania incident - WV MetroNews
by Duane Nichols 10 Jan '22

10 Jan '22

https://wvmetronews.com/2022/01/08/trapped-miner-confirmed-dead-in-pennsylv… Trapped miner confirmed dead in Pennsylvania incident January 8, 2022 - 1:45 pm UPDATE: Arcosa has confirmed their employee trapped in the Laurel Aggregates Lake Lynn Mine on Friday has died. The company issued a statement Saturday morning. “We are deeply saddened to confirm a fatality has occurred as a result of an accident at the Laurel Aggregates mine. We extend our deepest sympathies to the employee’s family and friends. Arcosa is cooperating with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) along with local authorities to investigate the cause of this accident.” Jeff Eller, Spokesman for Arcosa. The victim’s name has not been released. LAKE LYNN, Pa. — A man injured in a mining operation in Pennsylvania near the West Virginia border was freed overnight, but his condition is unknown. Crews were able to reach the victim who was trapped underground at the Laurel Aggregates Lake Lynn Mine for about eight hours Friday afternoon. The mine is a limestone operation located just north of the West Virginia border in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. “This is a quarry, but there is an underground mine portion of it, that’s the type of facility certainly there’s surface mining there’s underground mining,” community relations coordinator for the Pennsylvania DEP, Lauren Fraley told Pittsburgh TV station WTAE. The American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania indicated via Twitter Friday night they had been dispatched to the site to provide mental health services. “Trained and skilled Red Crossers are en route to provide help and support,” read the tweet. Laurel Aggregates’ parent company Arcosa released the following statement Friday afternoon: “At this time, we are focused on responding to an emergency incident at our Lake Lynn, Pennsylvania aggregate facility. The safety of our employees is our number one priority. More information will be shared when appropriate.” Officials from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Pennsylvania DEP’s Bureau of Mine Safety are also on site probing the cause of the accident. xxx

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Wood County Commission receives briefing on Mountaineer Trail Network
by Duane Nichols 03 Jan '22

03 Jan '22

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2022/01/wood-county-commiss… Wood County Commission receives briefing on Mountaineer Trail Network From an Article by Larry Launstein Jr., Parkersburg News & SentinelJanuary 3, 2022 A sign is shown on a trail at Mountwood Park. The park is planned to be part of the Mountaineer Trail Network, spanning 15 counties in northern West Virginia. (Photo by Art Smith) PARKERSBURG — The Mountaineer Trail Network, in northern West Virginia, will offer free recreational opportunities for everyone, especially hikers, mountain bike riders and boat users. Trails at Mountwood Park in Wood County and North Bend State Park in Wood and Ritchie counties are under consideration to be part of the network of anchored trails, said Chris Swarr, president of the Wood County Parks and Recreation Commission, with others yet to be determined. Ultimately, the network will cover 15 counties, including Wood, Doddridge and Ritchie counties. Swarr also said the network will consist of state and private trails. “It’s going to be a series of the best non-motorized trails in Northern West Virginia,” he said. Swarr said the network will be closely modeled after the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, a series of five to 10 individual trails in southern West Virginia. Senate Bill 317, signed into law by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice in 2019, set the tone for what the Mountaineer Trail Network could become. It’s an effort to build tourism around an existing trail complex involving Mountwood Park and North Bend State Park. Swarr spoke to the Wood County Commission about the network last week. “I was really surprised about the amount of people partaking in this (using the trails),” Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said. “The more they improve the trails, the more people will use them.” According to a press release, the goal is for the network to become the best non-motorized trail in the eastern United States. The press release said the Friends of the Cheat has been awarded $1.1 million to start the network by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Power Initiative. Friends of the Cheat spent 20 years restoring the Cheat River watershed and helps provide recreational opportunities in the area. Also involved is Down Street Strategies of Morgantown, an environmental-based recreational firm. According to the press release, the benefits beyond recreational opportunities include: * Inclusion in a large-scale branding and marketing effort to try to bring non-local, overnight visitors throughout the U.S. to the area. * Assistance with funding and long-term planning for trail maintenance to ensure the trails stay world-class. * Liability protection for private landowners participating once they enter a contract with MTNRA. The document sets a goal of finalizing operating procedures in 2022 and having an executive director in place by 2024. Another goal for trail and tourism planning involves reviewing each county’s trails and tourism assets, conducting inventories, preparing for finalist trail networks and providing targeted business assistance to get the area ready for large-scale tourism from 2022 to 2024. In 2024, they are looking to enter into executive agreements with landowners to recognize from four to eight trail systems. As far as branding and marketing goals for 2022 to 2024, they look to create brands and marketing materials for the network and build out an interactive web presence for the network, consisting of designing, procuring and installing signage and other print materials for recognized trails. And finally, in 2024, organizers want to start designing their first order of Mountaineer Trail Network merchandise, plan and implement opening events at each recognized trail center, and open the network for business.

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UD professor Douglas Tallamy hopes to save native species, one lawn at a time | News | newarkpostonline.com
by DUANE NICHOLS 01 Dec '21

01 Dec '21

https://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/ud-professor-douglas-tallamy-hopes-to… Standing in a garden of native plants on the University of Delaware campus, UD professor Douglas Tallamy puts his hand on an oak tree, one of the many species he hopes to encourage people to grow in their own yards. “It’s a grassroots solution, and the goal is to convert 50 percent of the area that’s in lawns now to functional ecosystems,” Tallamy said. Tallamy started the nonprofit Homegrown National Park with the help of Michelle Alfandari in the fall of 2020. The organization helps homeowners transform their yards from plots with nothing but grass into ecosystems full of native plants like the ones at UD. “It’s our effort to reach beyond the choir,” Tallamy said. “I’ve been lecturing to the choir for 15 years, a choir of people who already get it.” Tallamy met Alfandari when she attended a talk he gave in Connecticut about biodiversity. “He motivates you to take action by telling you that you are empowered to turn this around to regenerate biodiversity,” Alfandari said. Homegrown National Park’s website has an interactive map showcasing individuals who have contributed to the project by turning their yards into homes for native plants. The site currently counts over 11,000 participants. Tallamy’s goal is to move the focus of conservation from public lands, like national and state parks, to private land, which represents the vast majority of land in the U.S. He said 78 percent of land in the United States is privately owned, with 86 percent of land east of the Mississippi being privately owned. “For this to work, you need to reach tens of millions of people – all the people who don’t have any clue that their little piece of earth is important for the future of this country,” Tallamy said. He said the health of an ecosystem can be measured by the number of caterpillar species, because caterpillars are an important food for birds. Approximately 96 percent of birds raise their young on insects. “Most of those insects are caterpillars,” Tallamy said. “So you get rid of your caterpillars, you’ve gotten rid of your birds.” Tallamy said there are four things every ecosystem needs to accomplish: sequester carbon dioxide, manage the watershed, support the local food web and support pollinators. “A lawn does none of those,” Tallamy said. “It’s the worst plant for carbon sequestration. It destroys watersheds rather than manages them. It doesn’t support any pollinators, and it doesn’t support any food webs.” His latest book, “The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees,” published in 2021, focuses on oaks because the native species supports over 950 species of caterpillars, far more than other trees. The problems facing Delaware’s ecology – climate change, the extinction crisis, overpopulation of deer and invasive species – are all linked together. Humans and nature cannot exist separately, Tallamy added, since our actions impact areas like White Clay Creek State Park that are often considered pristine untouched nature. “You go to White Clay Creek, walk around, and over a third of that vegetation is from China,” Tallamy said. Tallamy’s interest in conservation began when he was in third grade and a bulldozer filled in a pond near Tallamy’s childhood home, killing his favorite toads. “I pursued it in the same way that everybody did,” Tallamy said. “I thought we had to preserve what wasn’t wrecked yet. I never once thought about enhancing our yard where I lived. It never occurred to me. Nature was someplace else.” Tallamy’s shift toward public advocacy started when he moved to Oxford, Pa., and saw how invasive plants covered his lawn. He worked with an undergraduate conducting research into how invasive plants damage the food web for insects, which in turn hurts bird populations. An article on his research got picked up by the Associated Press, leading to a bird club in Pennsylvania inviting him to give a speech. “My message is that you can help turn this around,” Tallamy said. “People get excited about that. I get four talk requests a day now.” Tallamy’s own garden is a testament to native plants, with 10 species of oaks living along with 120 genera of woody plants on his 10-acre property in Oxford. Newark Neighbors is a biweekly column that spotlights everyday Newarkers who have an interesting story. Know somebody who should be featured? Contact reporter Matt Hooke at mhooke(a)chespub.com.

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Inaugural WV TRAIL Conference Energizes Mass Effort for Statewide Trails Movement
by DUANE NICHOLS 30 Nov '21

30 Nov '21

https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/2021/november/23/inaugural-wv-trail… Inaugural WV TRAIL Conference Energizes Mass Effort for Statewide Trails Movement Kelly Pack is RTC's trail development director and a driving force behind many successul rail-trail projects around the country. Pack recently served as a lead author for RTC's 2013 America's Rails-with-Trails report. Posted 11/23/21 by Kelly Pack in America's Trails As part of the conference program, longtime West Virginia trail advocates Peggy Pings, Ella Belling and Amanda Pitzer celebrate Ella’s recognition as a leader of trail advocacy on the Mon River Rail-Trail System in Morgantown. | Photo courtesy Amanda Pitzer Exciting happenings in West Virginia last week—as local and national trail advocates gathered virtually for the inaugural WV TRAIL Conference (Nov. 16–18, 2021). Hosted by WV TRAIL, the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, Friends of the Cheat and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the conference brought together more than 250 people with the goal of building a broad network of trail planners, managers and advocates from across the Mountain State. Special thank you to the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, whose generous support to the Mountain State Trail Alliance and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy made this conference possible. In his keynote address on Tuesday, Nov. 16, Peter Harnik, RTC co-founder and author of “From Rails To Trails: The Making of America’s Active Transportation Network,” highlighted West Virginia’s role and good standing as a national leader in rail-trail development, noting the nearly 600 miles of rail-trails that crisscross the state. RELATED: Top 10 Trails in West Virginia West Virginia Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby emphasized the demand for trails in her welcome remarks. “I regularly meet with local officials across the state, and I’ve never had a meeting where somebody didn’t say, ‘What can I do to get more trails in my area?’” said Ruby. “It’s the hot topic.” Rich Edwards, the outdoor recreation infrastructure coordinator for West Virginia University’s Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative emphasized the importance of trails in boosting West Virginia’s economy. He stated, “Our dream is a West Virginia that is known as a place for outdoor recreation ... the energy from this conference makes me think that dream is being realized.” Caperton Trail along the Mon River in Morgantown, West Virginia | Courtesy RTC Conference attendees heard from a variety of panelists and speakers who shared inspiring stories, lessons learned and recommendations for building a trails movement in West Virginia. On Wednesday, RTC’s Vice President of Communications, Brandi Horton, joined Flatwater Trail Commission leader Bill Currey and West Virginia-based communications strategist James Hersick to share stories and strategies for communicating the impact of trails. The closing session on Thursday, “Trail Advocacy in Action,” highlighted the role and importance of engaging state, local and federal officials to support investment in trail development at all levels of government. State Rep. Kent Smith (D-Ohio), State Sen. Dennis Kruse (R-Ind.) and Andrea LaFontaine, executive director of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, spoke about the impact of legislative trails caucuses—which have built support and momentum for trail development in Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin in recent years—while Mayor Amy Goodwin (Charleston, West Virginia), Mayor Sam Felton (Marlinton, West Virginia) and Amy Dingle of Five Rivers MetroParks (Dayton, Ohio) shared successful strategies for engaging decisionmakers at the local level. To round things out, Marianne Fowler, RTC’s senior strategist for policy advocacy, provided a helpful overview of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and its potential impact for West Virginia communities. Analysis: Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes With New Opportunities for Trails, Walking and Biking Greenbrier River Trail in Marlinton, West Virginia | Photo by TrailLink user tarwheel Along with nonmotorized trail groups from across the Mountain State, RTC is contributing to the trail movement in West Virginia by creating and connecting a broad network of trail advocates and users through our leadership in the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition and beyond. We look forward to supporting WV TRAIL, the new statewide trails organization that aims to increase the awareness of and appreciation for trails of all kinds—with a mission to develop a vibrant network of trail leaders who will work toward expanding trail systems throughout West Virginia.

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Can a Better Understanding of Fungi Help Restore Northeastern Forests? | Sierra Club
by DUANE NICHOLS 29 Nov '21

29 Nov '21

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/can-better-understanding-fungi-help-resto… Can a Better Understanding of Fungi Help Restore Northeastern Forests? Why we should respect soil as a living organism By Lela Nargi, Sierra Club Magazine, Nov 24 2021 In the northeastern United States, deciduous hardwood forests have been experiencing declines for decades. A new study from Clark University and the Nature Conservancy, for example, found that New York and New England have been losing a combined average of 23,500 acres of forest a year to development, agriculture, and other land uses. Even in the remaining smaller, fragmented tracts of trees, though, change is afoot. It can come from blights like beech bark disease or pests like the emerald ash borer, which can weaken trees or kill some of them outright. Or, the changes can be subtler, with various species starting to thrive in some places while others become supplanted. Some of this is just the way in which what’s called succession, or the natural replacement of plant and animal species over time, works in forests. Some of it is attributable to climate change, in which warming temperatures are altering what species grow and thrive in certain regions. Why and how change is happening, and what the implications could be for people seeking to conserve or restore forested land, are questions that Nahuel Policelli and Corinne Vietorisz, researchers in the Bhatnagar Lab of Microbial Ecology at Boston University, have been looking to answer. Their interest, though, lies less in what’s happening aboveground with the trees themselves (a departure from conservationists’ traditional concern, which, according to Policelli, has the potential to result in conservation failures) and more in the role of fungal communities, located belowground in soil and attached to tree roots, in forests’ changes. “Fungi in general have been overlooked along with other soil microbes,” says Policelli. “They are tiny and difficult to study, but in the last 20 years we have the technology to identify them and which processes they’re involved in.” Policelli and Vietorisz recently embarked on a new project to examine the soil in urban forests in Massachusetts, to see if they could figure out how fungi living in soil as well as ectomycorrhizal fungi—that is, fungi that attach to tree roots and allow them to better access nutrients and water in exchange for sugar—might be assisting pine trees in encroaching into predominantly oak and other hardwood forests. “Pine trees have been cut multiple times since the British colonization, to build ships, and they always come back; this is the fourth or fifth time these forests have regenerated this way,” says Policelli. “Our work is a little piece of the puzzle of pine encroachment [and] how forests are shifting. How do [microbes like fungi] change soil, and what will happen to carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous [in the soil] as pines move in and forests change?” Photo courtesy of Katherine Sotiropoulou (undergrad student, Boston University) To find out what’s going on down there, over the course of several humid weeks this past summer and early fall, Policelli led a small team out into six local fragmented forests: three sites in Harvard Forest in Petersham; Hammond Woods in Newton; Landlocked Forest in Burlington; and Whipple Hill in Lexington. Each of these spots, on which the team will conduct soil and root comparisons, contain four types of forest: mature pine, mature hardwood, hardwood with young pines encroaching, and mixed forest featuring both mature hardwood and mature pines. One overarching question the team hopes to answer: Which ones have the greatest fungal species diversity, and how might that be affecting the diversity of trees growing there? Plunging a sterilized knife into the dirt, the team collected soil “brownies” at various forest intervals, starting with the city-abutting edge and then moving farther into the forest’s interior, as fungal and other microbial communities are known to differ along this gradient, according to Vietorisz. They also took soil core samples to check root density, and to determine which kinds of ectomycorrhizal fungi are pairing with different tree species. Analyzing DNA and RNA extracted from their samples will additionally allow Policelli and Vietorisz to identify which fungi are associated with which trees and to figure out how the fungi are interacting with their host trees and impacting carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous in the soil. At the moment, “It is unknown how the changes in fungal communities with [pine encroachment] relate to the changes in soil nutrients, and if there are key fungal species that may be drivers of soil nutrient changes,” explained Vietorisz by email. “We care about this because soil nutrient changes could affect the health of native forests, soil carbon storage, decomposition, and lots of other things. Or, if ectomycorrhizae and pines are preferentially [encroaching on] areas with specific soil nutrient conditions, that could help predict where pines may [encroach]” and perhaps allow for interventions before things get too serious. What is known, though, is that pines can have a strong propensity for taking over. In the Global South, pine trees were planted for timber beginning in the early 20th century. A lot of these plantations were abandoned starting in the 1950s, whereafter some trees started to invade native areas, says Policelli, taking over grasslands and turning mixed forests into monospecific ones—until researchers realized the trees were being helped along by ectomycorrhizal fungi and were thus able to change the way they managed the invasions. “Before, they were investing tons of money to get rid of pines, but now we understand that to control pines and restore areas, we need to consider the belowground aspect,” Policelli says. And although there are differences in the ways non-native pine trees invade in places like Argentina and New Zealand, and the way native pine trees encroach in New England, the way the ectomycorrhizal partnership works between the trees and fungi is the same. Another question for the researchers is whether understanding the underground functioning of one will shed understanding into the underground functioning of the other. Above all, though, what Policelli hopes materializes from his and other research around these fungal relationships is that forest conservationists will start to think more holistically about what goes on in the soil—and how that affects what goes on above it. “Stop considering soil as the recipient—this black box we put nutrients like nitrogen into,” he says, “and start thinking of it as a living organism.”

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Buckley Table 11-17-2021.docx
by DUANE NICHOLS 17 Nov '21

17 Nov '21

For your information, these tables on the Cheat River watershed were released today in the River of Promise program of the Friends of the Cheat. Sent from my iPad

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WNS takes a toll on West Virginia bat populations - The Wildlife Society
by DUANE NICHOLS 29 Oct '21

29 Oct '21

https://wildlife.org/wns-takes-a-toll-on-west-virginia-bat-populations/ WNS takes a toll on West Virginia bat populations By Joshua Rapp Learn, Wildlife Society, I October 18, 2021 Researchers found that little brown bats in West Virginia declined due to white-nose syndrome. Credit: Keith Christenson Populations of several bat species plummeted in West Virginia due to the spread of the deadly white-nose syndrome over the past decade, according to long-term surveys. White-nose syndrome has decimated bat populations across much of North America. A fungal disease, it kills affected bats during hibernation periods, causing them to use more energy than uninfected bats during colder winter weather. A researcher extracts a Virginia long-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus) from a mist net. Credit: Tim Jones Researchers in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia wondered how it was affecting the state’s 11 known bat species. Biologists had conducted mist net surveys for bats at hundreds of different sites in the forest since the late 1990s—before white-nose syndrome emerged—and recorded the species, body condition and sex of the bats they captured. “It became very fortuitous that we had all this data before white-nose syndrome hit,” said Catherine Johnson, who then worked as the wildlife program manager for the Monongahela National Forest. In a study published recently in Ecology and Evolution, Johnson and her colleagues split the data into two portions. They compared data from 2003 to 2008, before WNS was confirmed in the state, to data taken on surveys from 2011 to 2019, after it had spread through West Virginia. Northern long-eared bats were among those that declined after white-nose syndrome struck West Virginia. Credit: Keith Christenson “We could see this long-term change,” said Johnson, who now works as a coastal ecologist with the National Park Service. They found that three species declined dramatically after WNS hit the state: little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) and tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus). Those trends matched data gathered from other research conducted on hibernacula counts, Johnson said. The population of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), however, actually increased after WNS appeared in the state. Johnson isn’t sure why, but other research has shown that big brown bats may benefit from more prey availability when WNS diminishes other species. They may also benefit from more quality roost space, Johnson said. Other bat species, like federally endangered Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis), also declined but were so rare even before WNS that it was hard to tell what was happening statistically, Johnson said. A tricolored bat with white-nose syndrome symptoms visible on its nose. Credit: Craig Stihler The researchers also found that two species—northern long-eared bats and big brown bats—began to breed 5 to 6 days earlier on average in recent years. That may be attributed to the spread of the disease, Johnson said, or it may be due to climate change. “These bats are dealing with so many different things at the same time,” she said. “White nose syndrome is one, but there’s also habitat loss, disturbance of hibernacula and maternity roosts, climate change and many other stressors.”

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Some History of Mont Chateau
by DUANE NICHOLS 27 Oct '21

27 Oct '21

John May on Facebook Admin · October 10 at 7:22 PM · The bill to sell Mont Chateau had passed the Senate during the 1977 Legislative session. House delegates from Monongalia County, however, opposed the bill, arguing that access to the trail system and the only public beach on Cheat Lake would be eliminated. One local delegate charged that DNR had “purposely let the property run down … and made the property unattractive to the public to encourage the sale.” The bill failed to pass the House. Mont Chateau Beach, from the Morgantown Dominion Post 4/15/1977: >>>>>>>>>………………………>>>>>>>>>………………………>>>>>>>>>> John May on Facebook Admin · October 12 at 7:31 PM · The bill to sell Mont Chateau had failed to pass the Legislature. Quarry Management had terminated its lease and no other prospective parties could be found to manage the Park. DNR did not want to resume operation due to the prohibitive costs to rehabilitate the facilities. The State had a property that it could neither sell nor operate as a park. There followed some discussion as to repurposing the Lodge for other uses. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps, for example, had expressed interest in the building but, upon an on-site inspection, the facility was deemed “not large enough to provide the necessary housing room and would be too expensive to convert to uses to suit our purpose.” On June 21, 1977, Governor Jay Rockefeller announced that the Mont Chateau Lodge would be leased to and occupied by the West Virginia Geological Survey, at that time housed in White Hall on the WVU campus and in several leased facilities in the Morgantown area. From the Morgantown Morning Reporter 7/12/1977: >>>>>>>>………………………>>>>>>>>>…………………………>>>>>>>>>> John May on Facebook Admin · October 7 at 7:35 PM · Unable to generate income from the Park, and given the neglected state of the Lodge, DNR recommended that Mont Chateau be sold. Per the DNR Director, “The public doesn’t support it. It never has been popular since the day it was built.” A resolution to sell the property for not less than $1,000,000 was proposed in the 1977 Legislative session. The rationale given for the proposal was that, “as of late, Mont Chateau operated more as a hotel than a park and did not fit into the scheme of the State Park system because it only had 42 acres that were not suitable for recreational development”. Per the chairperson of the House Parks sub-committee, “It will cost much to upgrade the park in a condition that will not embarrass the State and dim the image of the other State Parks. On the other hand, we do believe the park can be easily sold to the adjoining country club or land developers on Cheat Lake.” From the Morgantown Dominion Post, 1/12/1977:

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Scientists work to catch up with Va.’s endangered and threatened species before it’s too late - Virginia Mercury
by DUANE NICHOLS 20 Oct '21

20 Oct '21

https://www.virginiamercury.com/2021/10/20/scientists-work-to-catch-up-with… Scientists work to catch up with Va.’s endangered and threatened species before it’s too late Following an announcement in September from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that 23 species should be declared extinct, Virginia’s environmental scientists are feeling the pressure to learn more about the commonwealth’s endangered and threatened species so they can be protected. “That list really highlights that extinction is not just a down-the-road possibility; it’s a very real possibility that can happen now,” said Anne Chazal, chief biologist at Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Natural Heritage Inventory. “People think of it as a tropical rainforest issue or an arctic tundra issue, but this is happening in the rivers and forests of Virginia.” The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists 71 endangered and threatened species living in Virginia. The list is made up of fish, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, birds, mammals and plants. The convergence of northern and southern habitats spanning from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic makes Virginia ecologically unique, according to Tom Akre, program scientist at the Conservation Ecology Center at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. “Ecologically, Virginia is an amazing crossroads, and as a result, we have amazing biodiversity and lots of species that are threatened and endangered because they were naturally on the margins of their ranges anyways or naturally not super abundant across wide ranges,” said Akre. Matthias Leu, associate biology professor at William and Mary, said he is concerned about the future for many of these species. “I don’t think it’s looking very good,” said Leu. “We’re worldwide losing a lot of species across all taxons, and the sad part for a lot of these species is we don’t even know how well they’re doing before all of a sudden they’re gone.” Piney Grove Preserve in Sussex County is home to one of Virginia’s last breeding populations of red-cockaded woodpeckers, Oct. 8, 2021. (Evan Visconti/ For the Virginia Mercury) Habitats are changing Sara Zeigler, a research geographer at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Coastal and Marine Science Center, said endangered species are often threatened by changes to their habitat. “It’s this constant conflict between habitat and people,” Zeigler said. In Virginia, Zeigler analyzed the habitat of the piping plover, a threatened shorebird that nests along Virginia’s barrier islands during the spring and summer. The piping plover requires wash-over habitats, which are created when an event such as a storm pushes sand and dunes from the beach further inland, covering much of the vegetation. “That allows the birds to nest further back from the ocean shoreline so the nest isn’t in danger of being flooded,” said Zeigler. “It gives them a lot of visibility so they can see any predators coming from shrubs or grasses on the interior. It also gives them access to the back side of the barrier which is where they bring their chicks to forage after they hatch.” When shorelines are developed and communities build sea walls or engineer dunes to protect from flooding, those overwash features that provide a habitat for piping plovers disappear, said Zeigler, and so do the piping plovers. The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker is experiencing a similar problem further inland. It requires large swaths of mature pine forest to survive due in part to the fact that it is the only woodpecker that excavates nesting cavities in live trees, according to Brian van Eerden, the Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Pinelands Program director. An aerial view of Piney Grove Preserve’s longleaf pine savanna, Oct. 3, 2021. (Evan Visconti/ For the Virginia Mercury) The southern longleaf pine forest historically provided tens of millions of acres of suitable habitat spanning south from Virginia to Florida and east all the way to Texas. “The red-cockaded woodpecker filled that niche with a large communal population structure,” said van Eerden. “Over the course of several hundred years, starting at Jamestown with colonial activities until the 1990s, there was a degradation of forest conditions suitable for species like the red-cockaded woodpecker,” said van Eerden. “The collapse of the red-cockaded woodpecker mirrored the collapse of the habitat it depends on.” Much of the southern pine forest was developed for agricultural land and harvested for timber. The natural role of fire in shaping the forest ecosystem was also curtailed. Without fire, the forest becomes thick and overgrown, limiting the abundance of herbaceous vegetation and causing a chain reaction that adversely affects the red-cockaded woodpecker’s source of food: insects, said van Eerden. The Nature Conservancy manages nearly 4,000 acres of forest called the Piney Grove Preserve in Sussex County. In an effort to restore the natural habitat and return the red-cockaded woodpecker to Virginia, conservationists began an aggressive prescribed burning program, removed canopy trees, installed artificial cavities (or nests) in trees and brought in juvenile red-cockaded woodpeckers from a donor population in South Carolina, said van Eerden. “We now have a stable enough population that we can safely contribute juvenile birds to other recovery areas, like the Great Dismal Swamp,” said van Eerden. “That’s a very convincing example of how we used science and some of the best ecological forest managers to drive population growth.” Relying on the science Conservation efforts across Virginia depend on scientists to monitor species’ populations and determine what a particular ecosystem or species needs in order to survive. This often requires teams of scientists to go into the field to collect data and make visual assessments. “We really need to be outdoorsy people who enjoy going out early in the morning and late at night to get bitten by mosquitos,” said Leu. “We are always pointing into the landscape and assessing the diversity at those points, so we need to be really well versed in recognizing bird songs and frog vocalizations and identifying plant species.” Christopher Davis, a fisheries biologist at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, monitors endangered Atlantic sturgeon and sea turtles in Virginia waterways as part of the Protected Species Observer Program. Davis teams up with commercial gillnet fisherman to study and track any sturgeon or sea turtles that get pulled up as accidental bycatch. If a sturgeon is caught, Davis sticks a transponder tag in it to track its movements after it is released. “We get length, weight and document any injuries that we see,” said Davis. “Then we get a fin clip for a DNA sample and we release it.” Different types of tags are used to monitor sturgeon movements. A VEMCO tag utilizes a string of receivers across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel that pings the tag when it comes within range to give scientists an estimate of the number of fish coming in and out of the bay. An Atlantic sturgeon caught off the coast of Chincoteague is tagged as part of the Protected Species Observer Program, April 25, 2021. (Photo by Christopher Davis) Additionally, scientists are utilizing new technology that can detect environmental DNA, or eDNA, in a given ecosystem to determine whether a species is present, said Akre, who used eDNA to detect threatened wood turtles in Virginia. “In the places we worked in northern Virginia, eDNA was almost as effective as visual encounter surveys at finding wood turtles, and it’s significantly cheaper because you don’t have to pay all these people to go out there and do these surveys,” said Akre. “You don’t get an understanding of how abundant the populations are, but it is a great surveillance tool and a fairly cheap one.” Surveyors from Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources snorkeling in the Clinch River at Speers Ferry to try to document all mussel species present at the site, Sep. 17, 2017. (Photo by Brian Watson) Scientists essentially take a sample of water (land and air eDNA samples are still being developed) and test it to see if they can find a particular species’ DNA. If the DNA is found in the water sample, scientists now have reason to believe that the species can be found in that ecosystem. Brian Watson, the statewide aquatic invertebrate biologist at Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources, said eDNA is starting to be used to look for certain species of mussel, but the science is still in the works. Virginia is home to a wide diversity of freshwater mussel species, several of which are endemic, or only found in one particular location. Due to freshwater mussels’ immobility, complex breeding process and overall sensitivity to changes in their ecosystem, they make up the largest portion of Virginia’s federally endangered species, said Watson. “eDNA, if it works properly, will allow you to get into a lot of sites rapidly and at least get an answer to the question of whether a particular species is present there or not,” said Watson. “It’s definitely an interesting tool that we are pursuing for freshwater mussels.” Given freshwater mussels’ stream bottom habitat and the sheer miles of waterways in Virginia, surveying with traditional methods can be difficult and time consuming, according to Watson. Watson sees drawbacks in potential false positives or negatives with the use of eDNA, but Akre and other scientists around the world are working to make eDNA more reliable and eventually have the ability to measure population abundance. “If we can use eDNA for abundance, then we can use it beyond just surveillance but also for monitoring how well a population is doing,” said Akre. “It does have great value in Virginia for detecting rare and endangered species.” xxx

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Take Your Leaf Peeping Escape to New Heights in West Virginia
by DUANE NICHOLS 04 Oct '21

04 Oct '21

Pictures of the day, of the week, of the month, October 2021. DGN https://www.mensjournal.com/travel/take-your-leaf-peeping-escape-to-new-hei… Take Your Leaf Peeping Escape to New Heights in West Virginia Blackwater Falls is an absolute masterpiece in autumn. Courtesy Image This article was produced in partnership with West Virginia Department of Tourism. Whether you’re desperately clinging on to the last glimmer of summer or eagerly counting down to the first day of fall, one thing’s for certain—autumn is coming. It’s time to grab your gear, pack your bags, and load up the car for that leaf peeping road trip you’ve been talking about. The crisp autumn air starts working its magic in late September, transforming summer’s lush canopies into sepia-tinted masterpieces across the country. But Mother Nature saves one of her most spectacular seasonal performances for West Virginia, where things are (quite literally) taken to new heights. The Mountain State is, not surprisingly, blessed with an awesome range of elevation. This rich and diverse topography allows the fall foliage to gradually reveal itself in waves for weeks on end. Depending on what part of Almost Heaven you’re exploring, you could either be a couple hundred or a few thousand feet above sea level, with nothing but stunning vistas and jaw-dropping panoramas as far as the eye can see. Trust us…it’s a show you won’t want to miss. Beech and birch trees erupt in brilliant explosions of gold. Scarlet oak and sumac trees become blanketed in crimson. And some species like witch hazel, hornbeam, and white oak trees dish out technicolored palettes that combine shades of copper, ochre, and burnt sienna. So whether you’re gazing out from a mountain overlook, wandering the winding trails, or enjoying the views during a statewide road trip, there’s an entire season of leaf peeping just waiting to be discovered this fall in West Virginia. Don’t miss the chance to see the majestic scenery for yourself—here’s how to plan an unforgettable leaf peeping adventure in Almost Heaven. Courtesy Image When to Go The cooler temperatures typically start hitting West Virginia’s higher elevations in late September. Regions like the Potomac Highlands become painted in bursts of burgundy, chestnut, and marigold. As the vibrant hues start washing over the treetops, in-the-know visitors head to iconic sites like Snowshoe Mountain and Canaan Valley Resort State Park to catch an early glimpse. Be sure to visit Monongahela National Forest. The national recreation area contains Seneca Rocks (paradise for rock climbers) and Spruce Knob, West Virginia’s highest peak, clocking in at 4,863 feet above sea level. Soon after, the flood of fall colors makes its way to Mountaineer Country and the Greenbrier Valley, dazzling onlookers in Historic Lewisburg and Stonewall Resort State Park. By late-October, the Northern Panhandle is usually in full swing. The region’s Tomlinson Run State Park converts into a spellbinding autumnal oasis, drawing hikers and campers in search of the changing leaves. It’s also the perfect time to visit the Mid-Ohio Valley, flaunting hot spots like Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park and the North Bend Rail Trail. Toward the end of the month, the dazzling display prepares for its final act. This is when you’ll want to explore regions like the Eastern Panhandle, Metro Valley, and New River-Greenbrier Valley. You can also choose to witness Mother Nature’s mesmerizing exhibition at other popular sites close by, like Babcock State Park and Hawks Nest State Park. Glade Creek Mill in fall Courtesy Image Can’t-Miss Leaf Peeping Destinations Babcock State Park: Babcock State Park is a fan favorite all year long, but it’s a real showstopper in the fall. Located in Clifftop, the beloved park boasts 4,127 acres of striking scenery that lures daredevils of all disciplines, from mountain bikers to whitewater rafters. It also happens to be one of the most photographed spots in the entire state, thanks to its iconic Glade Creek Grist Mill (above). The fully functional structure is a replica of the original Cooper’s Mill, which formerly operated on the grounds. The rustic campsite is an idyllic haven to use as a basecamp during your visit, complete with 28 electrical hook-up sites, 24 non-electric sites, and fully stocked cabins available to guests. Blackwater Falls State Park Courtesy Image Blackwater Falls State Park: Don’t be misled by the name…Blackwater Falls comes alive in the fall with one of the most vibrant foliage displays in the state. Tucked away in the Potomac Highlands and surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains, Blackwater Falls actually draws its name from the amber-colored waters that rush from its namesake 62-foot cascade, darkened by the tannic acid released from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The park offers plenty of picture-perfect moments, from the waterfall viewing platforms to Pendleton Point Overlook and Lindy Point Overlook, which peers across the Blackwater River Canyon. Table Rock is another can’t-miss spot within the park. The famed rock climbing site offers spectacular mountain vistas and can be found toward the far western end of Canaan Loop Road. There are also 75 primitive campsites strung along the 18-mile road, which make for a magical getaway. Fall foliage in the Mountain State. Courtesy Image Dolly Sods Wilderness: Part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, Dolly Sods Wilderness sprawls across more than 17,000 acres within the Monongahela National Forest. Here, elevations range from 2,500 to over 4,700 feet, lending to drastic demonstrations of fall foliage that cover the spectrum from butterscotch to rich mahogany. Fishing, hunting, and camping are all desired activities at Dolly Sods, but the best leaf peeping experiences exist along its 47 miles of trails, most of which follow weathered railroad grades and old logging pathways. In the 1940s, the military used this region for World War II maneuvers and mountain training. Though the area has been swept, hikers are encouraged to stay on designated paths as there may still be live mortar shells. Coopers Rock State Forest comes to life in the fall. Courtesy Image Coopers Rock State Forest: Ask any West Virginian to rattle off their favorite spots to watch the autumn leaves change, and chances are Coopers Rock State Forest will rank high up on their list. Located in Bruceton Mills, this iconic forest covers more than 12,700 acres—so there’s no shortage of foliage to see. The main overlook gives way to sweeping views of the Cheat River Gorge that stretch on for miles and miles. Immerse yourself in the action by exploring the forest’s 50-plus miles of zigzagging hiking and biking trails. There’s also a six-acre, trout-filled pond on the north side of the forest, providing a quiet retreat to appreciate the autumn scenery in all its glory. Harpers Ferry National Historic Park: If you’re on the hunt for an Instagram-worthy, autumn-themed escape, look no further than Harpers Ferry. This cozy little town serves up all the quintessential fall vibes you can imagine. The historic community sits at the convergence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. It’s chock-full of waterfront views, beautiful brick buildings, and charming storefronts, restaurants, and museums. It’s the perfect place to stroll the quiet tree-lined streets with a hot apple cider in hand. Visitors can also trek to serene overlooks, hike along skirmish lines from the Civil War, or join a ranger-guided wilderness tour. A visit to Harpers Ferry feels like you’re turning back the hands of time to a picturesque, bygone era. Blackwater Falls State Park Courtesy Image Where to Stay to Take Advantage of Fall Foliage Blackwater Falls State Park: Tucked away in the mountains of Tucker County, Blackwater Falls State Park offers an extensive range of outdoor excursions for visitors. The park was officially established in the 1930s, but the area had been attracting adventure enthusiasts since the early 1800s. Its key features include the namesake Blackwater Falls, as well as Elakala Falls, Lindy Point, and Pendleton Point Overlook. Within the park, overnight guests can immerse themselves in nature by taking advantage of their range of lodging options. The park has 39 fully furnished cabins, a 65-unit tent and trailer campground, a spacious 54-room mountain lodge, and a Tentrr campsite with additional standalone canvas platform tents. Lafayette Flats: Planning to explore the New River Gorge? Find your home away from home at Lafayette Flats. Located in charming Fayetteville, this boutique property blends historic appeal with all the modern-day comforts you’d expect. The grand brick building boasts four open and airy flats for visitors to choose from: the Nuttall, Corten, Quinnimont, and Eddy. After checking in, spend the day discovering local hidden gems downtown or working up a sweat in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Comfortable, clean, and conveniently located—what more could you ask for? Hotel Morgan: Nestled deep in the heart of Mountaineer Country, Morgantown is a quaint town known for its rapidly growing multicultural heritage. Home to West Virginia University, the destination has an always-on energy, thanks to its youthful collegiate population (which also comes with a frenetic nightlife scene, exceptional restaurants, and an eclectic arts community). Here, visitors will find the polished Hotel Morgan, a Wyndham Hotel. Sleek and sophisticated, this refurbished hotel is perfectly positioned on Main Street, and just a 15-minute drive to Coopers Rock State Forest. Bavarian Inn: Looking for more international flair? Consider booking an escape to the Bavarian Inn, perched on a striking bluff that overlooks the Potomac River Bend (just minutes from Harpers Ferry). A stay at this 11-acre, European-inspired boutique resort will feel like you’ve traveled worlds away (but luckily, you can leave the passport at home). Steeped in Alpine heritage, the luxurious property offers 72 spacious state rooms (where you can cozy up next to a gas fireplace) or live large in one of its four classical old-world chalets. And in true Bavarian tradition, make sure to stop by its on-site Brew Pub, Brew Lounge, and outdoor Beer Garden. This is the perfect place to splurge on a romantic autumnal retreat. The Billy Motel: Sure, the idea of bunking at a motel might not be your first choice, but The Billy Motel is anything but typical. This boutique motel is equal parts retro and edgy, with a dash of (what they call) “hillbilly fabulous.” Positioned off Route 32, the 10-room property was recently renovated and oozes personality. This mountaintop getaway is only minutes from the nearby towns of Thomas and Davis, teeming with funky shops, cool coffee bars, art galleries, and music venues. Outdoor adventure hubs like Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, Canaan Valley State Park, and Monongahela National Forest are also just a short drive away. Canaan Valley Cabins: For a more private escape, check out the inventory listed by Canaan Valley Cabins. The company offers a diverse assortment of rentals and vacation homes sprinkled throughout the Canaan Valley. From isolated log cabins deep in the woods to bucolic estates that can sleep the whole crew, they offer something to fit every taste and budget. Plus, you can find your perfect retreat by filtering options with criteria such as pet-friendly listings, waterfront locations, and more. No matter where you wind up booking, you’ll be right in the heart of the region’s brilliant fall foliage and heart-racing outdoor exploits. Oglebay Resort: The stately Oglebay Resort can be found in Wheeling, just an hour from Pittsburgh, two hours from Columbus, and three hours from Cleveland. It’s perched on 1,700 rolling acres and offers tons of activities fit for the whole family. The recently updated Wilson Lodge sports first-class accommodations with top-notch amenities, while their collection of cottage rentals and estate homes come in three tiers: rustic, deluxe, and premium. Play a round on one of their four golf courses, spend the day exploring Schenk Lake (outfitted with pedal boats, mini golf, and an aerial challenge course), or get up close and personal with the wildlife of The Good Zoo.

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Learning to enjoy the journey - - The Intermountain, Elkins, WV
by DUANE NICHOLS 10 Sep '21

10 Sep '21

https://www.theintermountain.com/opinion/columnists/2021/09/learning-to-enj… Learning to enjoy the journey Sep 9, 2021 Chris Wood, Davis & Elkins College President Wispy clouds floated overhead doing very little to block the warm summer sun. The light breeze caused the trees to sway as my tube floated slowly and haphazardly down the cool waters of West Virginia’s Cheat River. More than once I found myself humming the familiar melody of John’s Denver iconic “Country Roads” because the experience really was “almost heaven.” This memory is from a float trip taken with my family during a gathering this summer. As I resume my “Reflections Along the Journey” weekly column following a summer hiatus, this casual float trip down the Cheat River seemed the perfect metaphor to reflect, share and interpret the journey. Somehow on that refreshing summer afternoon, life once again was put into proper perspective. Sometimes, in the busyness of recent days, I return in my mind’s eye to the beauty of the river and listen for the tranquil sound of the splashing water against the smooth river rocks. These are the advantages of West Virginia living! I have two frames on a wall in my office that remind me about the importance of the journey. One reads, “The Joy is in the Journey” and the other reminds me that “Life is a Journey Not a Race.” These pearls of wisdom caused me to ponder the lessons of a lazy summer float trip down the river. A few life lessons that I learned include: Far too often we have little control over where the current takes us. We can fight it, or we can enjoy the journey. It is quite simple to live so distracted that we miss the beauty and tranquility that surrounds us. Closing our mouths, opening our eyes and quieting our souls reveals an amazing world. There are always rocks and bumps along the journey. They are overcome by simply going with the flow. Due to a lack of rain there were occasional spots where the river was unusually shallow, and a member of our group got out and pulled our tubes as we held on to one another. During life’s journey there are times we need to accept the help of others, and we certainly always need to hold on to one another. The tube held me up and kept my head above the water. For those of us who cling to faith, it is reassuring to rest in God’s hands and trust that God’s Spirit will sustain us. Floating down the river with the members of my family was the best part of that memorable day. The company we keep along the journey is the best part of all. With my river adventure now just a spectacular memory, the ebb and flow of life finds the students, faculty and staff back on campus and a new academic year underway at Davis & Elkins College. It means the lazy days of summer are behind us, but the lessons from the river are as relevant today as they were then. May those lessons guide your life and mine in this moment and around the next bend, as the journey continues.

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Isolating and testing for COVID-19 in WV wastewater
by DUANE NICHOLS 30 Aug '21

30 Aug '21

DOMINION POST 30 AUGUST 2021 WVU Team earns $2.9 million to monitor wastewater statewide for COVID-19 by Submitted to The Dominion Post August 29, 2021 MORANTOWN — Just like the COVID-19 virus itself, the means of monitoring and testing for it in wastewater have evolved into a new beast more than a year later. In 2020, West Virginia University researchers would prop open a manhole cover, dip down a bottle to collect wastewater and then take it to a lab to analyze for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (infected people shed virus particles through their feces). With the new academic year, researchers have resumed on-campus sampling. And these days, they use an egg-shaped robot called an autosampler that lurks in the sewers and collects samples every 20 minutes over a 24-hour period. It’s part of a $2.9 million statewide project geared at developing a testing network throughout West Virginia and identifying communities of concern for COVID-19. The project, supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, will monitor sewage at more than 50 wastewater plants, in addition to high-risk congregant settings like college campuses, around the state. A year ago, Timothy Driscoll, project leader and associate professor of biology, and his team were sampling around 15 sites on campus. Last September, they started testing at a local wastewater treatment plant to see if it was feasible to test and monitor on a larger scale to inform public health officials. It worked, and now those efforts have expanded. “The scope is different now,” Driscoll said. “We’ll still test at the building level but now we’re shifting more toward the communities at-large.” From a lab perspective, the testing process has trimmed down from 16 hours to six hours, he said, thanks to a new pathogen testing laboratory in the biology department. “We’re using a totally new process to concentrate viral particles out of wastewater,” Driscoll said. “It uses magnetic beads that stick to the viral particles. Then you just remove all the liquid, and you are left with just virus stuck to the beads.” This is already proving useful: several sites have shown recent increases in COVID-19, corresponding with the arrival of the delta variant to West Virginia. That information is helping public health officials respond appropriately, Driscoll said. The new process also poses the possibility to test for influenza, RSV, HIV and other viruses. It isn’t limited to infectious diseases, either. Scientists can also use it to watch for signs of antibiotic-resistance genes. “Our team hopes to expand upon the initial wastewater testing infrastructure to include other conditions of importance to West Virginia,” said Brian Hendricks, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health, a project co-investigator. “We strongly believe that wastewater surveillance is a very important part of public health, but it requires tools that often involve complex methods that may not be available in the state laboratories but are available at many universities such as ours,” said Gordon Smith, another team member and the Stuart M. and Joyce N. Robbins Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health. “The work we are doing is a perfect example of collaboration of a land-grant university — with its mission to serve the state — and the people of the state. We’ve got the scientific expertise to do the testing, interpret the results and work with the state to put it into practice.” Emily Garner, project co-investigator and assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is leading the field sampling. By using the autosamplers, researchers have the ability to program them to collect wastewater at certain intervals, she said. They settled on every 20 minutes. “That gives us a great chance of getting a good distribution of what the wastewater looks like throughout the day,” Garner said. “For many wastewater treatment plants, they already collect samples that might be valuable for this testing, so we can leverage those efforts. But in some cases, plants may not have the right equipment or permitting for frequent sampling. Then we’d send some of these autosamplers out into those communities. The official name of the project is WaTCH-WV (Wastewater Testing for Community Health in West Virginia). Collaborators with Marshall University are also conducting testing in the Huntington area. URL: https://www.dominionpost.com/2021/08/29/team-earns-2-9-million-to-monitor-w…

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Seven Mon National Forest Listening Sessions Scheduled for August and September
by DUANE NICHOLS 23 Aug '21

23 Aug '21

Seven Mon National Forest Listening Sessions Scheduled for August and September, ...... starting Tuesday, August 24th .....your voice is needed! https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/monlisteningaug?wvpId=1484761a-9d09-4d6b-911…

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Morgantown business experiences third flood after heavy rain | WBOY.com
by DUANE NICHOLS 01 Aug '21

01 Aug '21

https://www.wboy.com/news/monongalia/morgantown-business-experiences-third-… Morgantown business experiences third flood after heavy rain Larmie SanyonJul 30, 2021 / 06:35 PM EDT Monongalia Posted: Jul 30, 2021 / 06:32 PM EDT / Updated: MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the third time in about a month, Shorty Anderson’s Auto Service has flooded due to torrential rain in the area on Thursday night, July 29. Travis Rowan, the co-owner of Shorty’s, said the first flood was devastating, the second not too bad and the third has been, hands down, the worst. In total, five of their cars were flooded on Thursday. It took all night and morning to clean the shop. Residue had to be power-washed and further cleaned even into Friday afternoon. A look inside the flooded shop A look inside the flooded shop A look inside the flooded shop A look inside the flooded shop A look inside the flooded shop “We got a lot of mud and runoff from all the construction behind us,” Rowan said. “It filled the parking lots, I mean three-foot deep. It was — it was insane. We had a foot and a half of water in the shop. Mud, again.” When Rowan said “again”, he referred to the previous floods, which were also a result of the construction site behind Shorty’s. After the first flood in June, he said the construction site built a retention pond to hold in the rainwater, but it was unsuccessful. Shorty’s co-owner said he believes the existing pipes are not big enough to carry the water out of the pond. As a result, the water is coming out of the already-clogged drains and spilling into the auto shop. He said it’s all just “crazy”. Flooding behind Shorty’s from construction runoff Flooding behind Shorty’s from construction runoff Flooding behind Shorty’s from construction runoff Flooding behind Shorty’s from construction runoff Flooding behind Shorty’s from construction runoff “I’d like to see us not flood every single time it rains,” Rowan said. “I mean, this is the second big one that we’ve had, but every single rain we have gotten water in here now. I mean, it could rain for five minutes, and we get water in here now.” Shorty’s has contacted the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), and so far neither of them has been able to help. Rowan said he contacted MUB after the first flood, asking that they come to clean the ditches. Unfortunately, the ditches are still full and getting even more clogged every time it rains. As for the WVDEP, he said, he has talked to them “several times”, sending videos and pictures of the flooding; again, “nothing, really, came from it”. All WVDEP has done is documented the situation and then left the business to its own devices, which is frustrating. “Terribly frustrating,” Rowan said. “I mean, we’re not going to make it if this keeps happening. I mean, Shorty Anderson’s will be a thing of the past if this keeps happening. We can’t keep doing this. We’ve lost entirely too much money.” These losses are not covered by the insurance company, so the business is, really, feeling the brunt of every single storm. For now, Shorty’s will remain closed through the weekend, but the hope is it can open again soon after that. “Hopefully, we’ll be open on Monday to try to figure out where we go from here,” Rowan said. “We can’t get help from insurance. Insurance won’t cover anything, and it’s just extremely frustrating.” Copyright 2021 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share this story Sent from my iPad

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WV Travel Team: Coopers Rock, one of West Virginia’s thrilling overlooks | Travel | wvgazettemail.com
by DUANE NICHOLS 31 Jul '21

31 Jul '21

Coopers Rock, one of West Virginia’s thrilling overlooks From an Article by Dave Zuchowski, Charleston Gazette Mail, July 30, 2021 https://www.wvgazettemail.com/life/travel/wv-travel-team-coopers-rock-one-o… What is it about an overlook that draws people perilously close to the edge? It’s more than spectacular vistas, because many of those can seen from the ground. Maybe it’s the thrill of fear or the death-defying sense of danger. Maybe it’s the stunning landscape that takes the breath away. Either way, whether its Iceland’s Landmannalaugar, South Africa’s Lion’s Head or the Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan, people get a thrill out of being up high up and surrounded by stupendous natural beauty. Fortunately, there’s a magical spot much closer to home that should give the hairs on the back of your neck a lift. Located in Monongalia and Preston Counties of West Virginia near the Pennsylvania and Maryland border, Coopers Rock juts out over the Cheat River Valley with the same in-your face majesty as Uluru — Ayers Rock — in the Australian Outback. I bonded with the massive sandstone outcrop at an early age, and it became a frequent and favorite family outing. As a boy of seven, I was fascinated by the solid rock hovering precipitously over the steep valley below with only a sturdy wooden railing to keep me from tumbling over. I liked to peer down to the river’s edge, then up the other side of the mountain. The binocular apparatus mounted at the edge of the rock gave me a closer look. Drop a quarter in the slot and enjoy a three-state vista. Later, we made additional forays to astonish an aunt visiting from Brooklyn and amaze a younger generation of visiting nephews. At no time, however, did I realize my goal of hiking to the bottom — although I once took the short and easy trail that wraps around the face of the rock. Early in June, I made my latest return vowing to explore what had been for me uncharted territory, namely Raven Rock. Of course, my pilgrimage started at the main overlook, followed by a stop at the nearby Overlook Trading Post to pick up a hiking trail map and some bottled water. A short drive away, I stopped at what I thought was the entrance to Raven Rock Trail, but I ended up at a popular rock-climbing wall instead where I met an instructor from Seneca Rocks geared up and trying to teach a novice the ropes, so to speak. After a quick inquiry, I got directions to my goal, which was a little more than quarter mile down the road. I grew a little leery about my hike when I saw the unusual rattlesnake warning signs along the road. Thinking ahead, I brought along my walking stick — intending to pound it on the ground to give any sunning snakes a head’s up. After all, supposedly they’re more afraid of you than you are of them, although how anyone would ever figure this out is beyond me. Decked out in my tennis shoes, I started out with my photographer in tow. The path was largely downhill and rocky with dirt in between. The rocks were small and embedded in the soil and made me wish I’d worn hiking boots instead. I tried to avoid stepping on the stones for fear of turning an ankle, and I looked on in envy as a number of joggers wearing similar tennis shoes went whizzing by without a care in the world. The scenery along the way was captivating. Here and there, late blooming mountain laurel added floral interest, but mosquitoes buzzed me here and there, making me wish I’d brought along my insect spray. When I reached the sound of a small waterfall, a fellow hiker told to make a turn to the right, then uphill to Raven Rock overlook, just a few hundred yards away. Bill, my photographer, beat me to the site by a minute or so. When I arrived he said he’d just seen a big hawk perched on a nearby rock that flew off as soon as it saw him. I was thrilled to catch a pair of turkey buzzards making their wavering soars through the air below. Standing as close to the edge as I dared, I gazed at the majesty of the green carpet of trees that ran up and down both sides of the valley and vowed I‘d return again on a sunny autumn day for some dazzling leaf peeping grandeur. Ironically, the nearly 1.75-mile hike back to the car seemed to go faster and easier than the trip down. Again, those darned joggers seemed to mock my attention to the stones in the trail as they raced by in their shorts and sneakers. The entire round trip took maybe an hour and a half at most with pauses to take in the view. Back at the car, there was still time for a stop at the Henry Clay Iron Furnace, which dates back to c. 1834 and is now on the National Register of Historic Place. History buffs take note. The 30-foot-tall pyramidal stone structure was the first steam powered blast furnace in Western Virginia. If you’re wondering about how Coopers Rock gets its name, the unverified account says it derives from a fugitive Cooper who hid from the law among the rocks and made barrels for local residents. Others say it takes its name from the cliffs capping the gorge. Inveterate romantic that I am, I go for the fugitive story. The entire area is part of the 12,747-acre Coopers Rock State Forest. Besides hiking along a choice of 21 trails rated easy to moderate to steep, the area offers biking, cross country skiing, fishing, bird watching and the aforesaid rock climbing. The forest offers two campgrounds. McCollum has 25 sites open to both tents and RVs. It includes a heated bath house and Wi-Fi. Rhododendron has sites for tents only, and both campgrounds are open April 1 to Dec. 15. For cabin lovers, Mountain Creek has eight of them with fully equipped kitchens, hot tubs, porches and fireplaces. For more adventures, head over to the Adventure WV Outdoor Education Center for some zip-line fun. It’s just a quick drive across the bridge from Coopers Rock. Water activities on the Cheat River include canoeing, kayaking, swimming and fishing with Class II white water rafting at the Cheat River Narrows. For more information on the greater area, phone 800-458-7373 or go to www.visitmopuntaineercountry.com. For a handy discount booklet for lodging, dining, activities and shopping, log on to www.MountaineerDeals.com. For a cozy overnight stay, the Morgantown Marriott at 2 Waterfront Place overlooks the Monongahela River. Not only does the hotel have an impressive décor and amenities from Wi-Fi and parking to an indoor pool and fitness center, it also skirts the Mon River Rail Trail. Phone 304-296-1700.

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Elkins man’s body found in river | News, Sports, Jobs - The Intermountain
by DUANE NICHOLS 31 Jul '21

31 Jul '21

https://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2021/07/elkins-mans-body-f… Elkins man’s body found in river From an Article by Edgar Kelley, Staff Writer, Intermountain, July 30, 2021 ELKINS — The body of a 61-year-old Elkins man was found in the water in the Lower Cheat area of Randolph County early Thursday morning. Randolph County Sheriff Rob Elbon was dispatched to a possible drowning at Rattlesnake Run at approximately 6:30 a.m., according to a Sheriff’s Office press release. Once on scene he met with the woman who made the 911 call. Elbon asked the woman to show him where she last saw the victim, and the sheriff was led down a mowed path through the brush trail for nearly a quarter of a mile to a campsite, the release states. Once on the bank of the Cheat River, Elbon looked downstream and could see something in the water nearly halfway across the stream, the press release reads. The Elkins Fire Department with its Water Rescue Equipment had arrived on the scene at this time and they joined Elbon in the search. The responders were able to clearly see a body floating face down in the water. Police photos were taken of the riverbank, the campsite and of the victim. Elkins Fire Department members waded nearly chest deep in the water to recover the victim’s body, the release states. The victim was transported to Davis Medical Center and an autopsy was requested by the Sheriff’s Office. Elbon was assisted on the scene by Sgt. D. Pennington and Deputy T. Knotts, who collected evidence and statements. No further information is available at the time and the case is still under investigation.

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Ongoing Restoration Key to Improving Cheat River Water Quality / Public News Service, June 30, 2021
by DUANE NICHOLS 01 Jul '21

01 Jul '21

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2021-06-30/water/ongoing-restoration-key-… Ongoing Restoration Key to Improving Cheat River Water Quality West Virginia's Cheat River flows from five major tributaries, known as the "Forks of the Cheat," which originate in the Monongahela National Forest. (Adobe Stock) By Nadia Ramlagan - Producer, Contact. June 30, 2021 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- June has been National Rivers Month, and in West Virginia, conservation groups are celebrating the results of decades-long efforts to clean up acid mine drainage from the Cheat River. Fish can once again be found in the Cheat Canyon, and both Sovern Run and Big Sandy Creek are almost ready to be removed from the state's list of impaired streams. Stephen Toth, general partner at Blue Gold Development, which has helped with the cleanup project, said the Cheat River is recovering, but treatment should be ongoing to ensure the contamination doesn't return. "It's something that you basically have to do every 10 to 20 years," Toth explained. "Even though we did a project this year, in about 10 to 15 or 20 years, that's probably going to have to happen again. So, funding is of major importance for this." In the past two decades, Cheat River restoration efforts have received more than $5 million in support, and research showed between 2000 and 2013, the restoration work reduced acid mine drainage-related pollution in the Cheat watershed by more than one million pounds, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Toth added the river cleanup has also boosted local tourism and brought more dollars to small businesses. "It means so much to the community that lives here, and also tourism, and brings people from out of state," Toth observed. "It's just remarkable what they've done, and I'm very thankful to be a part of this." Laura Delaney, who owns a brewery in Bruceton Mills, agreed. She said she's watched economic development and quality of life improve with river restoration work. "I mean, this is a rural farming community," Delaney remarked. "We depend, you know, in so many ways, on having a clean water supply." Groups like Friends of the Cheat said they next plan to focus on removing the Albright Power Dam on the Cheat River, arguing reconnecting the Cheat will have positive ecological and economic benefits. ###

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Hiking WV: The Allegheny / Davis Trail (From OLLI @ WVU)
by DUANE NICHOLS 11 Jun '21

11 Jun '21

JUNE 9, 2021MICHELLE Hiking WV: The Allegheny / Davis Trail To be honest, I haven’t been up to doing much of anything since my father passed away, but this past weekend we went up to Blackwater Falls, and took an easy hike on the Davis Trail, which is an easy–and more important beautiful–hike. Being out in the woods really was helpful, once I made myself get out. I’ve talked about this hike before, but it really is lovely, and one of the trails in the Blackwater Falls area that doesn’t get a ton of use, which means we didn’t see many other people, which is always my preference. This section of trail starts at the Blackwater Falls Petting Zoo (which is still not back up and running, FYI), and goes up the mountain to Canaan Loop Road. We went up to the Plantation trail, and then hiked for awhile along there. The first section of the trail we hiked follows along Engine Run Creek. Engine Creek A creek I managed to fall in, while trying to take a picture. Engine Creek Luckily for me, the weather was warm, all my clothes are quick-drying, and my boots are waterproof, so we we were able to keep hiking. The trail is gorgeous. Not only does it run alongside Engine Creek along the Davis trail. The Plantation trail goes through several open fens. And I was delighted to see lots of future snacks. SOURCE: https://olliatwvu.wpcomstaging.com/archives/3763

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Tonight @ 6PM - Virtual Whitewater Preserve Public Hearing
by DUANE NICHOLS 08 Jun '21

08 Jun '21

> From: Friends of the Cheat <amanda(a)cheat.org> > Date: June 8, 2021 at 3:07:48 PM EDT > Subject: Tonight @ 6PM - Virtual Whitewater Preserve Public Hearing > > > > Virtual Whitewater Preserve Public Hearing > June 8th, 2021 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm > Meeting ID: 820 8881 8060 > > Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82088818060 > > Dial in: 1 929-205-6099 (Audio only) > > > Tune in to hear FOC's and concerned citizens' comments regarding Waterfront Group WV, LLC’s application for coverage under the WV/NPDES General Water Pollution Permit No. WV0115924 (Registration No. WVR111041, Whitewater Preserve Project). Share your concerns, as well. > FOC submitted the following comments and will be addressing more during the virtual hearing: > > The permit application does not have any tributaries to Laurel Run displayed, symbolized, or labeled in their plans even though they fall within the limit of disturbance and greater project area, which is very misleading in relation to the number of stream crossings proposed. WVDEP should require these tributaries to be included in the plans and review potential impacts on each. > > There were 52 days in 2020 where precipitation over 24 hours equaled 0.25 inches or greater. The signatories and those held liable to enforce the SWPPP, Groundwater Protection Plan (GPP), and requirements affiliated with the NPDES Construction Stormwater permit are addressed to Shepherdstown, WV, an approximate 2 hours and 30 minute drive away from the project site, and Cornelius, North Carolina, an approximate 6 hour drive away from the project site. Who will be on the ground in a daily capacity to administer and enforce the regulations related to the SWPP, GPP, and requirements affiliated with the NPDES Construction Stormwater permit? > > There are already Notices of Violation issued by WVDEP on this project. Miles of road were cleared, graded, and constructed without any permits in place that are required by law. This includes two stream crossings that were built over Laurel Run and a tributary, with no assessments for potential impacts to these streams or review to determine if the crossings are appropriately sized. We are requesting that WVDEP, WVDNR, Army Corps of Engineers, and the WV Department of Transportation review these crossings to determine if they are adequately sized for integrity of water quality, aquatic organism passage, and structural safety. > > As it stands currently, this permit application vastly lacks the appropriate sediment and erosion controls to prevent degradation of water quality to Laurel Run and Big Sandy Creek. The WVDEP should enforce its requirement of additional sediment and erosion controls, such as sediment basins. > > Property owners within the development are responsible for their own construction activities. Will property owners be able to move forward with their individual construction during construction of the activities proposed under Permit Application Number WVR11104? If so, how will inspectors be able to determine sources of erosion and/or sediment if projects are occurring concurrently? > > Based on independent calculations, there is reason to believe there will be a greater than 10% increase in post-development peak discharge due to exaggerations in drainage areas in the permit application. The calculations in the application should be reviewed in detail by the WVDEP to determine their accuracy. > > There is no formal Groundwater Protection Plan (GPP) document attached. Will the Applicant be required to create and submit a signed GPP document that will be held on site at all times? > > There are four endangered species within the project boundary. The NPDES permit process, specifically the Source Water Pollution Protection Plan (SWPPP), requires the applicant to list these species and include documentation regarding authorization under the Endangered Species Act, comprehensive site assessments, and/or Best Management Practices that are protective of listed endangered and threatened species and.or critical habitat. The applicant has only provided the species list, but no further documentation. WVDEP should enforce its requirement for the applicant to provide the above information. > > There are significant cultural resources within the project boundary. A State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) representative or cultural resources consultant should review these resources and determine the best course of action for preservation of these resources. > > FOC also has concerns about public access to one of our most beloved areas, an area that many dreamed would become public land one day. Access will be limited or discontinued to members of the public, such as boaters and Allegheny Trail thru-hikers. FOC will continue to inquire about access developments. > Our mailing address is: > Friends of the Cheat > 1343 North Preston Highway > Kingwood WV, WV 26537 > >

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Bimonthly Water Quality Sampling - ORSANCO
by Duane Nichols 26 Apr '21

26 Apr '21

Bimonthly Water Quality Sampling - ORSANCO The Bimonthly Water Quality Sampling Program is ORSANCO’s long-term water quality monitoring program for the Ohio River. The monitoring program began in 1975 and has a continuous record through the present day at 29 locations: 15 stations on the main stem of the Ohio River and 14 points near the mouth of major tributaries. The program’s six-sample annual design provides long-term trend monitoring of the Ohio River while maintaining an ability to evaluate attainment of water quality criteria. Samples are collected every second month, in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Water Quality Parameters Ammonia as Nitrogen Bromide Chloride Hardness (as CaCO3) Nitrate Nitrite pH Specific Conductivity Sulfate Temperature Total Dissolved Solids Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Total Organic Carbon Total Phenolics Total Phosphorus Total Suspended Solids Sample Locations Most samples are collected from United States Army Corps of Engineers Locks and Dams, the remainder are collected from bridge or bank locations. The Bimonthly Sampling Program Monitoring Stations are (Ohio River confluence mile points are given for tributary stations with tributary mile points enclosed in parenthesis): Allegheny River at Pittsburgh, Ohio River Mile 0.0, (-7.4) Monongahela River at South Pittsburgh, Ohio River Mile 0.0, (-4.5) Beaver River at Beaver Falls, Ohio River Mile 25.4, (-5.3) Ohio River at New Cumberland, Mile 54.4 Ohio River at Pike Island, Mile 84.2 Ohio River at Hannibal, Mile 126.4 Ohio River at Willow Island, Mile 161.8 Muskingum River at Marietta, Ohio River Mile 172.2, (-0.8) Ohio River at Belleville, Mile 203.9 Kanawha River at Winfield, Ohio River Mile 265.7, (-31.1) Ohio River at R.C. Byrd, Mile 279.2 Big Sandy River at Louisa, Ohio River Mile 317.1, (-20.3) Ohio River at Greenup, Mile 341 Scioto River at Lucasville, Ohio River Mile 356.5, (-15) Ohio River at Meldahl, Mile 436.2 Little Miami River at Newtown, Ohio River Mile 464.1, (-7.5) Licking River at Covington, Ohio River Mile 470.2, (-4.5) Great Miami River at Elizabethtown, Ohio River Mile 491.1, (-5.2) Ohio River at Markland, Mile 531.5 Ohio River at McAlpine, Mile 606.8 Ohio River at Cannelton, Mile 720.7 Green River at Sebree, Ohio River Mile 784.2, (-41.3) Ohio River at Newburgh, Mile 776 Ohio River at J.T. Myers, Ohio R. Mile 846 Wabash River at Route 62 Bridge, Ohio River Mile 848, (-32.5) Ohio River at Smithland, Mile 918.5 Cumberland River at Pinkneyville, Ohio River Mile 920.4, (-16) Tennessee River at Paducah, Ohio River Mile 934.5, (-6) Ohio River at L&D 52, Mile 938.9 (this location to be phased out during 2018-2019) Ohio River at Olmsted L&D, Mile 964.6 Grab Sample Methods River water samples are collected as near to the centerline of the river as possible from lockchamber guidewalls, bridges, and in some cases from raw water intake lines. To sample from outside structures an acid, distilled, and native water-rinsed bailer, stainless steel bucket, or Kemmerer sampler is used with sufficient nylon rope attached to reach the river surface. Samples are transferred from the collection device to a likewise triple-rinsed ten-liter plastic carboy. The sample water is distributed from the carboy to sample bottles, each containing preservative if required by the analytical methods to be employed. For more information on the Bimonthly Water Quality Sampling Program, please contact Ryan Argo. http://www.orsanco.org/programs/bimonthly-water-quality-sampling/

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‘We have a lot to lose now': FOC water chemistry results cause concern after T&T Mine event
by Duane Nichols 24 Apr '21

24 Apr '21

> 'We have a lot to lose now': FOC water chemistry results cause concern after T&T Mine event > > https://www.dominionpost.com/2021/04/23/we-have-a-lot-to-lose-now-foc-water… Gabriella Brown, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va. Sat, April 24, 2021, 12:01 AM·5 min read Apr. 24—MORGANTOWN — Chemistry test results collected by Friends of the Cheat has caused the organization concern over the long-term impacts the T &T Mine event may have on aquatic life. "We have a lot to lose now, " said FOC Executive Director Amanda Pitzer. "And we need to fight to protect that." In early March, rainfall and snowmelt caused 6, 200 gallons per minute of highly acidic water to discharge from the former T &T Mine. The site typically treats about 4, 200 gallons of water per minute and can sustain up to 7, 600 gpm ; however, the sudden increase led the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Muddy Creek Pipeline and T &T Treatment Plant to fail. > This allowed more than one million gallons of highly acidic water to bypass the plant over the course of the event. > Terry Fletcher, WVDEP acting communications director, said stream conditions for Muddy Creek and the Cheat River returned to normal a few days later, and the pH of Muddy Creek returned back to preferred water quality limits. > > What the test results conducted by FOC may reveal Although water quality returned to normal, Pitzer said water chemistry results recently retrieved by FOC show the discharge may have had a severe impact on the stream's aquatic life. > > Aluminum and iron are two types of metals found in acid mine drainage to which some aquatic species are highly sensitive. Pitzer said water samples collected during the discharge revealed dissolved aluminum levels reached nearly seven times more than the state water quality standard for aquatic life, and over 50 times the standard for trout. > > Iron levels reached 10 times over the standard for aquatic life as well as for human recreational contact, meaning the waterway was not safe for human contact. > > Downstream, dissolved aluminum levels reached almost nine times higher than the standard for aquatic life, and 74 times greater for trout. Iron was 15 times greater for aquatic life and human recreational contact. These iron conditions reached as far as three-quarters of a mile downstream. > > "If this were to have just been a one-day event, I think that everyone could maybe take a deep breath and say, 'OK, the fish could probably weather that, ' " Pitzer said. "But this went on for several days." > > Fletcher said no impacts to wildlife have been documented and Muddy Creek is in better shape today than it has been for decades. > > Pitzer said one of her main concerns is lack of communication, as the public was not made aware until several days after the discharge began. She said FOC became aware of the incident only after seeing acid mine drainage during a routine check-up March 4. > > Fletcher said this delay in communication occurred because the changes seen March 1 were not alarming. > > "The WVDEP noticed changes in the chemistry of the water coming out of the mine early in the week of the event, " Fletcher said. "But those changes were not alarming because changes in chemistry of water discharging from a former mine site is not uncommon." > > Due to a decrease in water quality from the mine, WVDEP modified treatment at Fickey Run by shutting off the upstream site and treating the stream with in-stream dosers. > > "This is an effective treatment option under normal flow conditions and the downstream monitoring point in Muddy Creek showed the water to be within water quality standards, " Fletcher said. > > Fletcher said there was no indication that flow out of the mine would increase later in the week and the decision to modify treatment had no effect on the conveyance pipe issue that occurred. He said the WVDEP became aware of the damage to the conveyance pipe March 4 and issued a statement the following day. > > Moving towards prevention strategies FOC and the WVDEP are now turning to prevention strategies rather than treating the symptoms of this type of incident. > > "If we can prevent water from getting into that mine pool, we stop the chemical reaction that creates acid mine drainage before it starts, " Pitzer said. "If water continues to get into that mine pool, we're going to produce acid mine drainage forever. That's not an exaggeration." > > Fletcher said the WVDEP is working with the WVU Water Research Institute, experts in the public and private sectors, and FOC to identify causation and develop solutions to prevent future events. He said prevention is not guaranteed, especially since the agency cannot confirm what caused this past event. > > In its newsletter, FOC outlined several action statements discussed during a meeting led by the WVDEP to discuss possible preventative measures: > > — Reactivation of the piezometers, which measure liquid pressure, for measuring water levels in the mine pool and a mapping analysis to determine where additional piezometers could be installed. > > — Use high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging and ground-truthing to look for potential stream loss areas in Sypolt Run (spots where surface water is disappearing through cracks in the stream bed and into the mine pool). > > — Investigate the need and feasibility to treat mine pool on site with chemicals. > > — Use potable water at treatment plant so both clarifiers can be operated at 100 % capacity. > > — Continue work to construct new sludge line to the Ruthbell mine. > > — Construct an iron oxidation bed at Fickey Refuse Abandoned Mine Land site. > > — Increase the frequency of line jetting. > > — Share emergency Standard Operating Procedure with FOC. > > Water quality has given the WVDEP and FOC a snapshot into how aquatic life may have been impacted. Until researchers are able to survey firsthand now and in the fall which species remain in the stream, it is impossible to know what was affected. > > "If I go out and I dip my cup in the water, that's only going to tell me what's happening in the water at that moment, " Pitzer said. "When we are able to go out and see the bugs and the fish—they have to live there, so they give you a more holistic view of long-term what's been happening in that river stream." > > Real-time updates on Muddy Creek water quality from the Friends of the Cheat monitoring station can be found at: > > www.cheat.org /our-work /muddy-creek-gauge-live-data-stream /

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The Fike Family of Preston County
by Duane Nichols 24 Apr '21

24 Apr '21

http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/preston/bios/fike.txt “On two Occasions he reached home frozen to his saddle and had to be helped from the horse, his hands and feet being thawed out in cold water. He paid little attention to swollen streams, fording or swimming them on his horse. Once he tried to urge his horse into Cheat River when it was high, but his faithful animal refused to make the venture, and later he discovered that the stream had washed a new channel ten feet deep at that point.”

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Rowlesburg to receive new tree seedlings near VFD
by Duane Nichols 13 Apr '21

13 Apr '21

https://news.yahoo.com/rowlesburg-receive-tree-seedlings-near-040100066.html Rowlesburg to receive new tree seedlings near VFD Mon, April 12, 2021, 12:01 AM Apr. 12—ROWLESBURG — The bank of the Cheat River near the Rowlesburg Volunteer Fire Department on Chestnut Street will soon be home to 100 seedlings. The seedlings are being planted to help shore up the banks of the river. The seedlings, from the West Virginia State Nursery's Mountaineer Trailways Program, include sycamore, river burch, poplar and red bud. Kelley Burd-Huss, community development coordinator of Preston Trail Towns, said the project is a collaboration between the Friends of the Cheat, the Rowlesburg Volunteer Fire Department and the Town of Rowlesburg. "We're stabilizing the shoreline and choking out some of the invasive plants, " she said. Burd-Huss said one of the invasive plants growing on the bank of the river is Japanese knotweed. Knotweed is a perennial plant with hollow, red-speckled bamboo-like stems. It can grow over 10 feet tall, and pieces of the plant can root themselves if they are discarded. Preston Trail Towns is a project of Friends of the Cheat. The program connects trails to small towns. She said the towns in Preston County they are working with are Albright and Rowlesburg. Burd-Huss said the idea behind the trails to towns program is to use what is already available in the town and turn it into a sustainable economy. She said FOC is looking for projects with which they can partner. "It's not one of those mini-grant things that we provide money and material for, " Burd-Huss said. "It's more like a relationship. We look at the resources we have and what can be done. This project is a good example of what we do." Mitch Klein, secretary and section coordinator for Allegheny Trails, said some trails are not as well known as others. He said adding a kiosk is one way to let people using the trails know what the town has to offer. He said he and Burd-Huss will scout locations to place kiosks. "I hope mountain bikes are allowed on the trails, " Klein said. "If you want a trail, let (mountain bikers) know they are welcome, and they will make you a trail." TWEET @DominionPostWV Sent from my iPad

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How to Find and Eat Ramps
by Duane Nichols 17 Mar '21

17 Mar '21

https://www.wildedible.com/blog/foraging-ramps/ Ramps: How to Forage & Eat Wild Leeks From an Article by Eric Orr, Wild Edibles, 3/2/2021 Ramps, ramsons or wild leeks, are one of the earliest wild edibles to emerge, and, for some, they're the holy grail of wild edibles. Historically ramps were regarded as a spring tonic in the Appalachians. Early settlers looked forward to ramp season after long, hungry winters. It would have been one of the first vegetables they had eaten in months. Foragers, foodies, and chefs dream all year about that uniquely pungent garlicky-onion flavor...the same flavor that odiferously permeates your pores to effectively stave off man and beast. Sustainably harvested ramps. Identification & habitat Ramps (Allium tricoccum) occur in Eastern North America from Georgia to Canada. They're easily recognized by their 1, 2, or 3 broad leaves measuring 1 to 2 1/2 inches wide and 4 to 12 inches long. They can have either red or white leaf stems. Red-stemmed ramps tend to have a stronger flavor than white. The leaves appear in early April and last until around mid-May. As May temperatures get warmer, the leaves will turn yellow and die. Look for ramps underneath dense deciduous forest canopy in well-drained soil that's rich with organic matter. They generally like north-facing slopes. There are some dangerous look-alikes so be sure the plants you pick smell like onion or garlic. Do not pick the dangerous Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) or False hellebore (Veratrum genus) by mistake. Again, make sure they smell like onion or garlic. If you're unsure, please let a knowledgeable forager confirm your find or just pass on picking. It may also be helpful to consult multiple references for more positive identification. Sustainability Unfortunately for ramps, they're super-trendy these days. Chefs, foodies, and other ramp-lovers flock to the mountains by the thousands for a chance to bask in their gourmet-ness. "Ramp feeds," known as ramp festivals now, have been taking a toll on ramp populations for years and the added pressure of their recent popularity has really put a hurting on their numbers. The implications affect conservationists and foodies alike. Cindy and I are conservationists first and foragers second. What this means for us is that ramping is not only unsustainable, but it gets more arduous each year as we climb higher and longer to find undiscovered ramp patches. Traditionally, the Cherokee dug, and still dig, ramps by leaving the roots. This is done by cutting off the bottom of the bulb with a pocket knife while it's still in the ground. It's really a simple process. Sustainably harvesting ramps -- the root is cut off and left intact in the ground. Harvesting Here are a few things you'll need to harvest ramps: Time This one is really important. It's way too easy to run up to the ramp patch after work with good intentions of sustainbly digging ramps. You get to the trailhead at 5:30pm and it's 6pm by the time you're digging ramps. The sun's about to slip behind the mountains and you're in a sudden hurry to get your ramps and get out of there. So you abandon your plan and jerk as many roots out of the ground as you can before running out. DON'T DO IT! Sustainably harvesting ramps takes more time, so you really need to make allowance for it. Plus it's a lot more fun to have a leisurely walk into the woods, not worrying about racing the waning light. If you can't give yourself the time to do it, please consider taking only greens and leaving the bulbs undisturbed. You won't need nearly as much time if you only harvest leaves! Sharp hunting knife Make sure it's sharp! A dull knife will do more harm than good--you'll end up mutilating the bulb so it's not useable as food and not viable as a plant. You may even want to touch up the blade as you dig, since the grit of the dirt will take your edge. You'll also want to make sure the blade is at least three or four inches so you can easily reach the root without disturbing the soil. If you insist on digging the root, use a hori hori knife to minimize impact. Backpack or shoulder bag I usually put a few plastic grocery bags in a backpack and then load a bag or two with ramps before putting them in my pack, which helps keeps the dirt out of the pack. The most sustainable way to harvest ramps is to cut only one leaf, leaving the bulb and second leaf to continue growing. This is least impactful on the soil, the plant, and the colony as a whole. The leaves, in my opinion are the best part, anyway, and taking only leaves is the best way to ensure the colony will remain viable. Sustainably harvested ramp. If you insist on taking bulbs, please dig sustainably: Using a digging knife or stick: Then carefully cut away the bottom third of the bulb with roots, leaving them in the ground. Gently pull back the dirt from around the bulb, being careful to leave the roots in the ground. Pull back just enough dirt to expose a little bit of the bulb so you can see where to put your knife. Then re-cover the roots with dirt and leave them to grow next year. That's all there is to digging. Please be judicious and don't take any more than you will use. I find that, when I overzealously harvest, it makes more work for me in the long run, because some ramps will inevitably go bad before I can get to them. There's not much more disgusting than the smell of past-their-prime ramps. And a few ramps go a long way so there's no need to stockpile them. Even though we practice sustainable harvest, I'm afraid the ever-inceasing demand will eclipse the slow procreation. So we've been looking into the possibility of cultivating our own ramps. I've always heard they'll survive almost anywhere in our Southern Appalachian region but will only propagate above 3000 feet here. We've successfully transplanted ramps that come back each year but our little patch hasn't spread (it's below 3000 ft.). According to North Carolina Extension Horticultural Specialist Jeanine M. Davis, ramps can be transplanted and cultivated from seed at much lower elevations. Apparently, it takes some effort to germinate seeds when climes are warmer than ideal, but it can be done. And once a good patch is established, it supposedly requires little maintenance. Jeanine recommends the book Having Your Ramps and Eating Them Too by the "Johnny Appleseed of Ramps" for more info on cultivating ramps. Storing & preserving Ramps are only in season for a month or so, but, for us, getting them is only half the problem. I usually come back from a good ramping trip with several pounds: enough for us to eat fresh before they go bad with a little extra to keep for eating later (I rarely go digging more than once a season unless I come home with a particularly light harvest). Both leaves and bulbs can be eaten and both are delicious. They're best used fresh, but both can be put away for eating later in the year. The easiest way to store ramp bulbs is by freezing: Simply cut off the greens, clean the dirt off the bulbs and cut off the roots (if your ramps still have roots). Then spread the bulbs out on a sheet pan or waxed paper so they are not touching and freeze. This prevents them from sticking together. Once they're frozen, put them in jars or plastic containers, seal tightly and put in the freezer for up to six months. You can also wrap them individually in wax paper and store frozen in sealed jars. They can also be pickled but we don't usually bother. The greens won't last long fresh and deteriorate when frozen. They can be dried, but they lose a lot of their flavor. We've found the best way to preserve them is by making ramp compound butter (see recipe below). A close second is ramp pesto. Either can be stored in the refrigerator in the short term or frozen for use later. For short term storage put ramps in the refrigerator as soon as possible. They should be stored uncleaned. If a refrigerator is not immediately available ramps can be kept with the bulbs submerged in a bucket of water and placed in a cool shaded area. The leaves will start to wilt in the refrigerator after 4 days or so and in the bucket after a day or so depending on temperature. Cooking & eating Ramp bulbs and leaves can be diced and used just as you would use onions, green onions, leeks, chives and garlic, but they are much more potent. They pair well with the following: pasta eggs chanterelles and other wild mushrooms potatoes stir fried and raw greens pork Some folks like to eat ramps raw. I like a little chopped up in a salad, but ramps as a cooked vegetable are a lot more fun. My favorite way to eat them is mixed into venison burgers or in ramp and white cheddar soup. And it's hard to beat ramps and eggs for breakfast. A few years back, Cindy came across this sweet little book from West Virginia called Mom & Ramps Forever! by Barbara Beury McCallum. There's some fun anecdotal history on ramps in there. It's also a collection of old timey recipes and stand-bys like pickled ramps and ramp champ - mashed potatoes with ramps. Here's one of the recipes... quick and easy and sounds tasty: Ramps With Watercress "Fry some bacon until crisp, remove the bacon then drain off part of the bacon drippings. Put washed cress into the pan with the water that clings to it. Cook covered, until tender. Garnish with crumpled bacon, finely chopped ramps, and some chopped hard cooked eggs." Unfortunately, Mom & Ramps Forever! is out of print, but it's a nice one for the collection if you can find it. INGREDIENTS 1 lb. softened butter 1 to 2 cups ramp greens, chopped 2 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice INSTRUCTIONS Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and pack in small containers. NOTES Use just as you would garlic butter. Sent from my iPad

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T & T Mine blow out in Preston County last Thursday
by Duane Nichols 08 Mar '21

08 Mar '21

Subject: T & T Mine blow out in Preston County > > The last information from DEP and FOC is that the treatment plant will be repaired by tomorrow and the pH at the mouth of Muddy Creek is now approaching 7 (neutral). > > No aquatic kills have been seen, but it would be extremely difficult in Muddy Creek. > > The pH appears not to have the dipped low enough to cause an acute kill in Cheat River or Cheat Lake as pH in Cheat Lake over the weekend was 6-6.5. The WV-DEP has a YSI deployed at the head of Cheat Lake and are expecting to see values perhaps no lower than the high 5s. > > I’m sure more info will emerge. A full article was in the Morgantown Dominion Post recently. .... DEP investigates mine blowout that sends acidic drainage into Muddy Creek, Cheat River .....from The Dominion Post, March 6, 2021 ALBRIGHT — The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is investigating a blowout from the former T&T Mine Complex that is discharging into the confluence of Muddy Creek and the Cheat River in Preston County. Large amounts of highly acidic water, 10 times that of normal concentrations, and sediment are discharging from the former mine and has caused acid levels in Muddy Creek and the Cheat River to spike. The flow peaked at 6,200 gallons per minute Thursday afternoon, but has since dropped to 3,500 gallons per minute. The incident has since been reported to the agency’s spill line. Thursday’s event overwhelmed the WVDEP’s acid mine drainage treatment system, known as the T&T Treatment Facility, causing a pipeline entering a manhole to rupture. An estimated 300-500 gallons per minute was not going into the treatment facility. Staff from the WVDEP’s Office of Special Reclamation have been on site to investigate and implement a repair plan. “The flow has to decrease to where we can shut off the valves that regulate the water out of the T&T mine,” said the WVDEP’s Acting Communications Director Terry Fletcher. “This would cause water to build up in the mine and allow our staff time to make repairs at the manhole and better assess the situation.” Similar events have happened on three occasions since the initial blowouts at the T&T mine in 1994 and 1995, which overwhelmed previous AMD treatment systems. These events prompted the WVDEP to install the new T&T Treatment Facility, which treats up to 6 million gallons of AMD per day The WVDEP has yet to determine the cause of Thursday’s event, or prior events. There is speculation that periodic roof collapses within the T&T mine is displacing large volumes of highly acidic water at one time, but the agency has not been able to confirm this theory. Additionally, significant amounts of rainfall in recent days likely increased the volume of water in the mine and contributed to the current situation. Friends of the Cheat statement — Nonprofit watershed group Friends of the Cheat released this statement Friday: “It is with heavy hearts that we inform our river community that there has been another blowout related to the T&T mine system, and acidic and metal-laden water is again flowing through Muddy Creek. FOC staff noticed the disturbing hue of the water yesterday and found the pH reading 3.65. pH has dropped in the Canyon at ‘Decision Rapid’ to 5.8, and has stained the river-right extensively. “The WVDEP Muddy Creek Watershed Treatment Plant has not been able to handle the burden of the recent precipitation events. With precipitation projected to occur more often and with greater intensity over the next decade, we are left to wonder how often these events may occur. For the fish documented in Muddy Creek and the canyon, this is a major ecological setback. This is ever more proof that our work is not done, and the risk these abandoned mine lands pose to healthy ecosystems. “We will continue to push for restored water quality, innovation and will not accept this as the status quo for Muddy Creek. Now more than ever, SMCRA AML reauthorization will be critical to address the longstanding ecological damage continually caused by abandoned mine lands. We’re not out of the weeds yet.” URL: https://www.dominionpost.com/2021/03/06/dep-investigates-mine-blowout-that-…

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WVDEP Biological Assessment Rule Virtual Public Hearing - March 9, 6PM
by Duane Nichols 08 Mar '21

08 Mar '21

WVDEP Biological Assessment Rule Virtual Public Hearing - March 9, 6PM https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/bioassessmentrulehearing?wvpId=1484761a-9d09…

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WVDEP investigating blowout at former Preston Co. mine that has caused acid levels in Cheat River, Muddy Creek to spike | WBOY.com
by Duane Nichols 06 Mar '21

06 Mar '21

https://www.wboy.com/news/preston/wvdep-investigating-blowout-at-former-pre… WVDEP investigating blowout at former Preston Co. mine that has caused acid levels in Cheat River, Muddy Creek to spike Sam HainesMar 5, 2021 / 05:50 PM EST Preston Posted: Mar 5, 2021 / 05:50 PM EST / Updated: Courtesy: Paul Kinder UPDATE (3/5/21 5:50 p.m.): ALBRIGHT, W.Va. – Friends of the Cheat has released a statement on the mine discharge in Preston County. “It is with heavy hearts that we inform our river community that there has been another blowout related to the T&T mine system, and acidic and metal laden water is again flowing through Muddy Creek. FOC staff noticed the disturbing hue of the water yesterday and found the pH reading 3.65. pH has dropped in the Canyon at “Decision Rapid” to 5.8, and has stained the river right extensively. The WVDEP Muddy Creek Watershed Treatment Plant has not been able to handle the burden of the recent precipitation events. With precipitation projected to occur more often and with greater intensity over the next decade, we are left to wonder how often these events may occur. For the fish documented in Muddy Creek and the Canyon, this is a major ecological setback. This is ever more proof that our work is not done, and the risk these Abandoned Mine Lands pose to healthy ecosystems. We will continue to push for restored water quality, innovation, and will not accept this as the status quo for Muddy Creek. Now more than ever, SMCRA AML reauthorization will be critical to address the longstanding ecological damage continually caused by abandoned mine lands. We’re not out of the weeds yet.” Friends of the Cheat statement Courtesy: Paul Kinder Courtesy: Paul Kinder Courtesy: Paul Kinder Courtesy: Paul Kinder Courtesy: Paul Kinder Courtesy: Paul Kinder ORIGINAL STORY (3/5/21 4:33 p.m.): The West Virginia Department of Environment Protection (WVDEP) is currently investigating a blowout from the former T&T Mine Complex that is discharging into the confluence of Muddy Creek and the Cheat River in Preston County. A press release from the WVDEP that was issued on Friday afternoon stated that large amounts of highly acidic water, 10 times that of normal concentrations, along with sediment are discharging from the former mine and have caused acid levels in Muddy Creek and the Cheat River to spike. Officials said the flow peaked at 6,200 gallons per minute on Thursday afternoon but has since dropped to 3,500 gallons per minute. The incident has since been reported to the agency’s spill line, according to the release. Officials said Thursday’s event overwhelmed the WVDEP’s acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment system, known as the T&T Treatment Facility, causing a pipeline entering a manhole to rupture. An estimated 300-500 gallons per minute were not going into the treatment facility, the release stated. According to the release, staff from the WVDEP’s Office of Special Reclamation are on-site to investigate and implement a repair plan. “The flow has to decrease to where we can shut off the valves that regulate the water out of the T&T mine,” said the WVDEP’s Acting Communications Director Terry Fletcher. “This would cause water to build up in the mine and allow our staff time to make repairs at the manhole and better assess the situation.” The WVDEP said similar events occurred on three occasions since the the initial blowouts at the T&T mine in 1994 and 1995, which overwhelmed previous AMD treatment systems. The release stated that these events prompted the WVDEP to install the new, innovative T&T Treatment Facility, which treats up to 6 million gallons of AMD per day. The release stated that the WVDEP has yet to determine the cause of Thursday’s event, or prior events. Officials said there is speculation that periodic roof collapses within the T&T mine is displacing large volumes of highly acidic water at one time, but the agency has not been able to confirm this theory. Additionally, significant amounts of rainfall in recent days likely increased the volume of water in the mine and contributed to the current situation.

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Rowlesburg flooding could be worst in 25 years | WV News | wvnews.com
by Duane Nichols 28 Feb '21

28 Feb '21

Rowlesburg flooding could be worst in 25 years | WV News | wvnews.com From an Article by Joseph Hauger, Preston News & Journal, February 28, 2021 ROWLESBURG — A Cheat River community is expected to receive some of the worst flooding in 25 years, according to the National Weather Service. Flood warnings remain in place for Preston County towns along the river, as well as those in higher elevations, where overflow from creeks and drains may cover roads and enter buildings. Current projections place the crest of the river in Rowlesburg at 22.3 feet at 7 p.m. Monday. The Cheat is expected to reach the flood stage of 16 feet at around midnight Sunday, if the forecast holds true. That crest would place Rowlesburg into the “major” flood category — which hasn’t been experienced by the town since Jan. 19, 1996, when the river reached 24.2 feet. The water will be nowhere near the devastating flood of Nov. 5, 1985, when the river at 36.9 feet crashed through the town. The last time Rowlesburg officially flooded was July 29, 2017, which was the sixth-worst for the town at 19.75 feet. One-to-three inches of rain is expected through Monday morning, adding to the runoff from the rapidly melting snow upriver. At about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the Cheat had reached 12 feet, up from 7 feet at 5:30 a.m., and from 5 feet at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. According to the NWS: — At 16 feet, flooding begins in the Rowlesburg town park. — At 18 feet, W.Va. 72 is closed at the north end of Rowlesburg, and water surrounds houses near the park. — At 20 feet, Water flows under houses in low-lying areas, and will affect homes along Poplar, Elm, Catherine, Diamond, Church, Buffalo and Main streets. Nearly three feet of water will cover ball fields at the park. — At 22 feet, W.Va. 72 (Buffalo Street) is closed near Feltys Hill at the south end of town. Water approaches the intersection of Maple Street and County Route 80/8 at the east end of the Maple Avenue Bridge. Downriver in Albright, which also has suffered from Cheat River flooding through the decades, no flooding predictions are available. However, the community is part of the NWS flood warning in place. Flood stage in Albright is 27 feet, and at 4 p.m. Sunday, the Cheat was at 19 feet, rising from 15 feet at 4 a.m. Sunday and from 14.5 feet at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Towns have been proactive and reactive in the wake of the flood warning. The kitchen building at the Rowlesburg park has been hit several times, even when flooding is minor. It has been readied for another round of river water reaching its doors. Meanwhile, the Shop ‘n Save in Terra Alta was closed due to flooding Sunday afternoon while firefighters helped to remove water from the building and worked to channel water away from W.Va. 7. On Saturday, Gov. Jim Justice declared a State of Preparedness in advance of potential flooding in 50 counties — everywhere but the Northern Panhandle. The declaration allows for the mobilization of resources to assist with preparation for any potential flooding or other storm-related damage. Additionally, Justice has activated the state Emergency Operations Center, and has instructed all state agencies to exercise their appropriate authorities. https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/rowlesburg-flooding-could-be-worst-in-25…

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Flood warning issued for area Sunday into Monday
by Duane Nichols 27 Feb '21

27 Feb '21

https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/flood-warning-issued-area-sunday-into… Flood warning issued for area Sunday into Monday WPXI.com News Staff, February 27, 2021 The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for several rivers in the area and West Virginia from late Sunday night into Monday evening. The warning specifically names the Monongahela River at Point Marion affecting Greene and Fayette counties; Monongahela River near Charleroi affecting Washington, Fayette and Westmoreland Counties; Monongahela River near Elizabeth affecting Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties; Cheat River at Rowlesburg affecting Preston County, W.Va.; and Cheat River near Parsons affecting Tucker County, W.Va. One to three inches of rain is forecast to fall across portions of West Virginia and far Southwest Pennsylvania through Monday morning. The heaviest rain is expected Sunday and Sunday night. This rainfall along with snow melt will result in significant rises on the Cheat and Monongahela rivers. At 10:15 a.m. Saturday the Monongahela River was at 14.5 feet, with flood stage is 26 feet. Moderate flooding is forecast. It is forecasted that the river will rise to 14.6 feet Saturday afternoon. It will then fall to 14.3 feet and begin rising again Sunday morning. It will rise above flood stage early Monday morning and continue to rise to 27.2 feet early Monday afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage Monday afternoon. Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

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Study Finds West Virginia Counties Among ‘Worst in Nation’ For Drinking Water Violations | WVPB
by Duane Nichols 12 Jan '21

12 Jan '21

https://www.wvpublic.org/news/2019-09-24/study-finds-west-virginia-counties… Study Finds West Virginia Counties Among ‘Worst in Nation’ For Drinking Water Violations Report for America is a national service program coordinated by The GroundTruth Project.The inivitiative is made possible in rural Appalachia with support from the Galloway Family Foundation. West Virginia Public Broadcasting | By Emily Allen Published September 24, 2019 at 8:12 PM EDT A new study released Tuesday by three environmental groups found more than half of West Virginia counties rank among the worst in the nation for violations of a federal law that protects the quality of drinking water in the U.S. The report, “Watered Down Justice,” ranked 36 of the state’s 55 counties among the top third worst-offending U.S. counties. The analysis found millions of people across the country, including 912,650 people in West Virginia, consumed water from drinking systems that were out of compliance with the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), at various points between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2019. According to data from the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of three organizations behind the study, 378 water systems violated the SDWA at least once in those three years. That's out of a reported 448 West Virginian systems total, serving more than 1.5 million people. Small, often rural, community water systems were among the top offenders, along with systems responsibly for serving communities of color and low socioeconomic conditions. In West Virginia, where much of the state’s residents live rurally, many people depend on small community water systems. Systems nationwide serving less than 3,300 people accounted for more than 80 percent of all SDWA violations, according to the study. Even smaller systems, serving less than 500 people, were reportedly responsible for more than 60 percent of all SDWA violations, and for 50 percent of health-based violations. At a press conference at the Capitol in Charleston Tuesday afternoon, a series of speakers, including two state lawmakers and representatives from environmental groups, said the study not only found West Virginia counties violated the SDWA often, but also spent a lot of time not complying with the law in general. According to the report, 42 West Virginia counties are among the top third in the nation for counties who spend the most time out of compliance. What Is The SDWA? Three environmental groups -- the Natural Resources Defense Council, Coming Clean, and the Environmental Justice Health Alliance -- analyzed health-based violations of the SDWA between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2019. The SDWA was established in 1974. This act requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate drinking water sources and to protect residents from both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants. The EPA sets legal limits on more than 90 contaminants in drinking water, including chemical contaminants, lead and copper. These contaminants can lead to a large swath of health problems affecting a variety of ages, including cancer and impaired brain development. When it comes to public water systems, the EPA regulates those that provide water to at least 15 service connections, or at least 25 people for at least 60 days a year. Quality Of Life ‘Inseparable’ From Quality Of Water Drinking water faces many threats, including those from chemicals and the improper disposal of human and animal waste. In 2014, a chemical spill near Charleston left more than 300,000 West Virginians without drinking water for a week after a storage tank at Freedom Industries leaked more than 10,000 gallons of toxic materials into the Elk River. In 2000, dangerous levels of perfluorooctanoic acid, or C8, were discovered in water systems, coming from chemical company DuPont’s plant near Parkersburg. Earlier this year, officials discovered chemical water contaminants in Wetzel County. “We all know West Virginia is no stranger to our water contamination,” said Pam Nixon, President of People Concerned About Chemical Safety. Since the 2014 incident, Nixon said she has noticed signs and reactions to the “water crisis” everywhere, including grocery stores. “People in West Virginia realize that our water is contaminated,” she said. “We’ve noticed from 2014 to now, how the section for bottled water has expanded. And when you look, there are, unfortunately, some people who really can’t afford to buy water, they don’t feel comfortable drinking it, so they’re buying bottled water. You can see it in the carts.” Rick Martin, president of the Charleston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said the spill in 2014 was an “unforgettable experience,” and “difficult to forgive, particularly in low-income communities and our communities of color.” According to the report, findings showed a relationship between sociodemographic characteristics at the county level, like race and income, and those counties’ drinking water violations. “Quality of life and quality of water go hand in hand,” Martin said. “They’re inseparable.” Martin said there will be a push next year to reintroduce House Bill 2153 and Senate Bill 573, both of which failed in 2019. These bills would create a minority health advisory team to assist local communities in developing plans to address local public health crises, like water contamination. Democratic West Virginia Dels. Mike Pushkin and Evan Hansen also spoke at the press conference. Pushkin, who lives on the west side of Charleston, referred to his area as “ground zero” for the 2014 spill. He said the report came as “no surprise to those of us who have lived here for a long time.” “Charleston still has not fully recovered,” Pushkin said. “This part of the state still hasn’t fully recovered from that industrial disaster that took place in January 2014.” He described the “amount of people who moved out of the area, some of the businesses that closed up and still haven’t come back.” “Since then ... I have seen the Legislature roll back the Aboveground Storage Tank Act that was passed as a reaction to that chemical spill. … I have seen the weakening of water quality standards every year,” he said. Pushkin said he rejects the narrative that deregulation is needed to attract and retain businesses to West Virginia. “This narrative that we’re being fed is a lie,” he added. “We saw businesses that shut down because of the chemical spill in 2014.” According to the report, there were 170,959 violations of the SDWA in 24,133 community water systems across the U.S. Almost 40 percent of the U.S. population, according to the report, consumed water from drinking systems that violated the SDWA. Researchers found 437 counties, mostly in the southwest part of the country, spent the longest average lengths of time, out of compliance, per drinking system. This story was updated on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, to include additional data on violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act in West Virginia. Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.

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Ground breaks on new reservoir outside Morgantown | State Journal News | wvnews.com, July 20, 2018
by Duane Nichols 12 Jan '21

12 Jan '21

Ground breaks on new reservoir outside Morgantown | State Journal News | wvnews.com From an Article by Connor Griffith, The State Journal, July 20, 2018 MORGANTOWN — A project nearly 60 years in the making recently took another step toward completion with the recent groundbreaking of the dam and reservoir along Cobun Creek off Interstate 68. Members of the Morgantown Utility Board and community signatories traveled to the site for the ritual of planting shovels in the ground and a site tour. Director Tim Ball said this was preceded by a gathering at the Erickson Alumni Center in which the structure’s official name was announced: the George B. Flegal Dam and Reservoir. Flegal was the first engineer for the Morgantown Utility Board’s predecessor, the Morgantown Water Commission, who designed the current reservoir along the creek closer to the Monongahela River. However, he recognized the need for a larger alternate source of water and went so far as to purchase land for it in 1960. “Recognizing his foresight and vision, we thought it appropriate to name it in his honor,” Ball said, adding that Flegal’s purchase 58 years ago only needed a few more acres added to bring it up to its current size. “It was a special day for this event.” The project picked up steam in 2014 following the Freedom Industries chemical spill that disrupted the water supply for more than 300,000 people for a month. The older reservoir, with a capacity of 40 million gallons, would only provide the Morgantown area with three days of water should the Monongahela River become contaminated. Ball said this is due to sediment that gradually builds up in the reservoir and the larger population of Morgantown. The George B. Flegal Dam and Reservoir will hold 370 million gallons of water when full, which is enough to supply Morgantown for 30 days. The dimensions are that of a 74 foot tall earthen dam stretching about 870 feet across the crest of the dam and will be roughly 440 feet wide. Ball said the contractor behind the job is Kanawha Stone based out of the Charleston area, which has a track record in Monongalia County of moving earth for the West Side development off Interstate 79 and the Suncrest Towne Centre. “We’re lucky to work with them. They are a reputable company,” Ball said, adding that all the material needed for this earthen dam is already present on site. He said Kanawha Stone’s contract gives them two years to get the dam built but it could be completed in 12-15 months depending on speed and weather conditions. After that, it’ll take about 12-18 months for the reservoir to fill up with water. According to Morgantown Utility Board, no lights or fencing will surround the reservoir itself and the board has no plans of providing public access. However, the board will permit the Morgantown Board of Parks and Recreation to conduct and manage public access opportunities should it choose to do so. “We’re very positive on the reservoir investment,” said Eldon Callen, with the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce. “This is the kind of infrastructure development that we need to be focusing on. We’re very much focused on doing things the correct way.” Given the location of the reservoir itself, Callen said it’s in a position to provide water to a majority of Monongalia County. Besides the county’s West End, Callen said he can envision further growth along Grafton Road and Kingwood Pike, both of which are located close to the new reservoir. “We need to diversify our economy with growth and influx of new people that’s been going on,” he said. “Since the last census, we’ve grown significantly. We were averaging about 6 percent in population growth during some of those years.” The older reservoir will still be used as a backup water supply to the new reservoir. Some funds from this $48 million project were set aside to rehabilitate the old pool and clear out some of the sediment. Ball said that Flegal actively monitored the new reservoir project when it started moving again after 2014, directly communicating with the Morgantown Utility Board via letters at times. Ball said he hoped Flegal would be able to attend the groundbreaking but the engineer passed away about four months ago at the age of 90. However, his son, Greg, attended and said his father would’ve been proud of the accomplishment. https://www.wvnews.com/statejournal/news/ground-breaks-on-new-reservoir-out…

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Legislative Rulemaking Committee Votes to Weaken Water Quality Standards – WV Rivers
by Duane Nichols 12 Dec '20

12 Dec '20

https://wvrivers.org/2020/12/wqsupdate-2/?fbclid=IwAR1dxDQjwjrGOFzgYa9a97m9… Legislative Rulemaking Committee Votes to Weaken Water Quality Standards – WV Rivers Yesterday, the Joint Legislative Rulemaking Review Committee met to debate updates to the human health criteria in our water quality standards. This committee meets before the regular session to review, amend and vote on recommended rules for the full Legislature’s consideration. Sadly, even after 494 of you reached out to members of the committee in support of protective water quality standards, they decided to support less stringent limits for 13 toxins in our water quality standards. Fortunately, there were a few Legislators who stood up for protective water quality standards. During the committee meeting, Delegates Barbara Fleischauer (D-Monongalia) and Larry Rowe (D-Kanawha) led the charge to fight against weakened standards. They spent over an hour questioning WVDEP on why they only chose a small subset of the recommended criteria to update and for information about the harms and risks these toxins pose to our residents. Delegates Fleischauer and Rowe and Senators Baldwin and Jeffries sponsored an amendment to strip out the updates that would weaken human health criteria. That amendment was defeated 4-7, with Fleischauer, Rowe, Baldwin, Jeffries voting for the amendment and Foster, Sypolt, Butler, Martin, Steele, Rucker and Weld voting against it on a roll call vote. In the final vote to pass the rule, Fleischauer and Rowe spoke against the rule as it would weaken water quality standards. The rule passed 7-4 along the same lines that the amendment failed. So what now? The full West Virginia Legislature will consider and vote on water quality standards rule when they commence in February. WV Rivers will be there to keep you informed and be your voice throughout the session. The fight for protective water quality standards is going to be an uphill battle, and every one of you will be essential to keeping the pressure on the Legislature. We’re going to have to work hard to ensure health and waters are adequately protected – get ready!

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WVU Davis College Receives Grant to Help Lift Up West Virginia Communities - The Independent Herald
by Duane Nichols 05 Dec '20

05 Dec '20

WVU Davis College Receives Grant to Help Lift Up West Virginia Communities Plans in Kingwood include assessing baseline economic development for the RECREATE program and Cheat River Trail initiative. Aspects of this project will be community-based with focus groups, gauging outdoor recreation interest in Preston County, and strategically planning community and economic development in participating trail towns. https://www.independentherald.com/2020/12/03/wvu-davis-college-receives-gra…

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Living on Earth: Midtown Coyote. We now have coyotes in the Cheat area ....
by Duane Nichols 14 Nov '20

14 Nov '20

http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=20-P13-00046&segmentID=4 Midtown Coyote Air Date: Week of November 13, 2020 stream/download this segment as an MP3 file The coyote darts across a street in Sacramento. In an era of remote learning and spotty Zoom meetings, we humans still have it easier than many animals trying to raise their young. Writer Jennifer Berry Junghans on how a mother coyote manages to eke out a living in the heart of California’s capitol. Transcript BASCOMB: The pandemic has put a spotlight on the challenges of parenting in the absence of childcare. But even in an era of remote learning and spotty Zoom meetings we humans probably still have it easier than many animals trying to successfully raise their young. Here’s writer Jennifer Berry Junghans on how a mother coyote manages to eke out a living in the heart of California’s capitol. JUNGHANS: She dug her den in the dense ivy butting up against the sidewalk in a residential neighborhood of midtown Sacramento. A fresh mound of dirt at the entrance of her 10-foot burrow gave it away, behind caution tape that warned passersby to keep out. The mother coyote dug her den in dense ivy along a midtown sidewalk. I meet up with a friend. Within minutes we see her in the parking lot behind us. She rests under a southern magnolia but looks tense. She glances left, right, forward, back, like hands on a clock gone mad. I wonder if she wonders where her two pups are. They’re 11 weeks old now, still small and cuddly to the eye but independent enough to roam the city without her. I think of the possibilities of what could go wrong. I think of her natural habitat along the riparian corridor of the American River, where pups play and tumble on golden knolls as moms watch nearby. A land she knows, rules even. A land where she is at home. The mother coyote and one of her two pups. But here in the city, it isn’t long before a man barrels into the parking lot and chases the coyote with his car. It’s distressing to see and it brings to life the tension of this scene. Some people are thrilled to share space with her and her pups. Others want them eradicated, like the man in the car. Some are fearful, some are fearful for them, and others pour bags of cat food on the ground, unintentionally habituating her to this booby-trapped urban setting. She’s agitated now, jumpy and uncertain as she bolts across the street and wanders through lanes with the swift leggy gait of a moving target. She locks eyes with me as she moves and I swear she can see through me. Moving through the intersection, she boomerangs back across the street, darts through parked cars, then down the sidewalk and heads my way. She sees me, and ducks into overgrown landscaping. I spot her again about 20 minutes later, grabbing a few mouthfuls of cat food. Something startles her. She jumps straight up in the air and lands a few feet away in the street. “I swear she can see through me,” Junghans writes of the mother coyote. I think about my choice to come see her. To bear witness to her experience, but my good intention is stripped down naked. I am just one more encounter she must gauge and respond to in this calamity of human activity. State laws say she can’t be relocated. Even if she could, she may not find adequate food or water. And if she’s moved to a dominant coyote’s territory, he may attack her and kill her pups. So the plan is to keep the peace between man and beast, discourage her presence and hope she returns to wilder land. It’s unlikely this will be the last time a coyote makes her den in midtown. We see them more and more, comingling in the spaces we call home. I wonder if one day we’ll mirror London, where wild red foxes that live among the urban neighborhoods are as common as cats lounging outdoors and people walking their dogs. Both mother and pup are always on the lookout for danger. But for now, we have no unity among our understanding of these animals or in our ability to live in harmony with them. Eventually, I go home. And her struggle continues on.

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Register Now: Virtual Watershed Symposium, Nov 5-6
by Duane Nichols 29 Oct '20

29 Oct '20

From: West Virginia Rivers Coalition <acrowe(a)wvrivers.org> > Date: October 29, 2020 at 2:02:22 PM EDT > > Subject: Register Now: Virtual Watershed Symposium, Nov 5-6 > > > > > Register for the Virtual Watershed Symposium, November 5-6 > > > If you are a member of a watershed organization, or are interested in protecting your local watershed, then you won’t want to miss the Virtual Watershed Symposium, November 5-6, 2020. > > This virtual networking and learning event will provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to be an advocate for your community’s watershed! Learn more and register. > > Schedule of Events > > Thursday, November 5 > > > 7:00-8:30pm: Welcome, Water Advocacy 101, & Legislative Update, Watershed Award > > WV Rivers Coalition's executive director, Angie Rosser, will provide an overview of how watersheds can advocate for strong water policy as a 501c (3) non-profit organization and give an update on what’s to come in the 2021 Legislative Session. The evening activities will close with the announcement of the 2020 Watershed Awards. > > Friday, November 6 > > > 10:00-11:00am: Celebrating the Great River with a Plan for the Ohio River Basin - 2020-2025, Dr. Harry Stone, Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) > > After ten years of ORBA collaborative Summits and a 17-month period to gather stakeholder input, the Plan for the Ohio River Basin was released by the US Army Corps of Engineers on September 28, 2020, and accepted for implementation by the ORBA Steering Committee. The Plan provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a multi-billion-dollar federal investment in the Basin - including ecological restoration in West Virginia. The presentation will discuss the six goals of the plan, next steps in the implementation process, and how watershed organizations can get engaged - it will take all of us working together to make this happen. > > > > > 11:00am-12:00pm: Benthic Macroinvertebrate Identification Refresher > > Get a macroinvertebrate Identification refresher – Learn expert tips and tricks to help you identify “Benthic macroinvertebrates” in the field, and what they can tell us about the health of our rivers and streams. Participate in an activity following the presentation to be eligible for benthic prizes! > > > > > 1:00-2:00pm: Marketing Your Watershed Group: Danny Forinash, Charles Ryan Associates > > In a digital world, finding an effective marketing approach can be daunting. But by identifying audiences, figuring out where they go for info and defining your goals, organizations have blueprints from which to choose. Whether groups have money to invest in marketing or not, they have proven options. Danny Forinash will give you tips of the trade on how to effectively market your watershed group on social media to recruit new members, communicate with your members and build support for your projects. > > > 2:00-3:00pm Educational Opportunities: Morris Creek Project, WVDEP Youth Environmental Program, WV Rivers/Trout Unlimited Mobile Monitoring Application > > Learn how Morris Creek Watershed worked with students at Malden Elementary School to track fireflies, collect water quality data, and increase the bat population at Morris Creek. You’ll also hear about WVDEP Environmental Program and learn about the new initiative of WV Rivers and Trout Unlimited to develop a mobile phone watershed monitoring application. > > All presentations will be recorded. If you can't attend at the specified time, register anyway to receive a copy of the recording. > > Register for the Watershed Symposium > > WEST VIRGINIA RIVERS COALITION > 3501 MacCorkle Ave SE #129 | Charleston, West Virginia 25304 > 304-637-7201 | wvrivers(a)wvrivers.org > > Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser > > Unsubscribe

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Davis Trailhead dedicated in Tucker County | News, Sports, Jobs - The Intermountain
by Duane Nichols 29 Oct '20

29 Oct '20

https://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2020/10/davis-trailhead-de… Davis Trailhead dedicated in Tucker County, Intermountain News, Oct 24, 2020 Submitted photo Supporting organizations represented at the dedication included Heart of the Highlands (Dan Lehman, Cory Chase, Andy Dalton); Tucker Community Foundation (David Cooper, Jennifer Rexroad); Town of Davis (Mayor Doug Martin); Western Pocahontas Properties (Rich Flanigan); Highlands Trail Foundation (Fred Sikarsky, Jason Myers, Karen Carper, Bonnie Swyter Smith, Diane & Scott Hinkle); Tucker County (TC) Planning Commission (Robin McClintock, Emily Wilson-Hauger); TC Development Authority (Steven Leyh); TC CVB (Jessica Waldo); TC CDA (Brad Moore, Savannah Wilkins), and Canaan State Park Foundation (Mike Powell). DAVIS — A dedication to mark the completion of the Davis Trailhead was held at the site. The event was hosted by the Highlands Trail Foundation, Heart of the Highlands, and the Town of Davis Parks & Recreation Commission. The trail connector will tie into the Allegheny Highlands Trail project once the Davis exit of Corridor H is complete. The rail trail currently runs from Elkins to Parsons, Hambleton, and Hendricks and includes a section paralleling Corridor H near Davis. With the addition of the Davis Trailhead the trail has potential to connect all five of Tucker County’s municipalities. The trailhead project was a collaborative effort of the Tucker Community Foundation, the Town of Davis, and Western Pocahontas Properties with support from many entities. A WV Recreational Trail grant, along with corporate and private donations, provided funding for the project. The kiosk featuring two trail maps was designed and installed by Heart of the Highlands with maps and content provided by HOH and HTF. The trail connector borders the Davis Ball Field on Rt. 32.

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Attention Cheat Lake Property Owners and Boaters
by Duane Nichols 22 Oct '20

22 Oct '20

Attention Cheat Lake Property Owners and Boaters Starting at 12:00 am on Sunday November 1, 2020 winter lake level limits will go into effect on Cheat Lake. At that time, minimum reservoir levels will decrease from 868’ to 857’. Please remove all docks prior to this time. Winter lake levels will remain in effect until 11:59 pm on March 31, 2021. The winter boat launch ramp at the Cheat Lake Park will be open from November 1, 2020 until May 1, 2020 to accommodate boaters who wish to launch a boat on Cheat Lake. Lake Lynn Generation maintains levels at Cheat Lake in accordance with our FERC license. Karen Baldwin, Eagle Creek Hydro

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Netflix’s ‘David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet’ Is The Most Important Documentary Of The Year
by Duane Nichols 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2020/10/08/netflixs-david-attenb… Netflix’s ‘David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet’ Is The Most Important Documentary Of The Year Dani Di Placido, Forbes|Oct 8, 2020, Sir David Attenborough in Ukraine. There’s likely no one on Earth who has had a life quite like David Attenborough. The BBC broadcaster has been the soothing voice of nature documentary narration since the beginning of, well, nature documentaries; Attenborough set off to explore the globe in his twenties, and has been broadcasting the wonders of the natural world to the public ever since. Attenborough is now 94, and throughout his long life, has watched the natural world wither before his eyes. He seems tired of keeping quiet about it. The scale of the problem is so overwhelming, so gargantuan, that it can be difficult to absorb, and to communicate through a single documentary. But by framing environmental destruction through Attenborough’s eyes and unique career, A Life on Our Planet manages to humanize an issue that can often seem distant, and somewhat abstract. Like the Lorax, who speaks for the trees, Attenborough attests to the fact that a significant amount of wildlife has been forever lost, painting a terrifying picture of a not-so-distant future in which humanity continues down the path of senseless self-destruction. As the film moves through the decades, marking each stage of Attenborough’s career with the ever-declining state of the natural world, the percentage of remaining wildlife takes a dramatic plunge in the last thirty years, as the cumulative damage begins to snowball. Thankfully, the documentary soon takes a more optimistic turn, as major environmental victories are highlighted, and the film begins to focus not on a scorched, apocalyptic future, but a world restored. Rewilding seems key; while certain scientists, and Silicon Valley bros, focus on technological solutions like carbon capture, or even blocking the light of the sun with a giant screen (just try and stop me, Mr. Bond), nature has its own regulatory systems that are ready to help tackle the problem - if we just allow it to do so. The world’s jungles and rainforests, packed with an almost unimaginable abundance of life, should be viewed as sacred, simply by their very existence, but the fact that they capture carbon so effectively makes them absolutely vital to our future. The “problem” with trees, however, is that they aren’t profitable unless they are being harvested. And here’s where Attenborough holds back - the incessant, unquenchable greed and manufactured demands of capitalism are barely mentioned, nor are the obscene excesses of the wealthy. An analysis by Oxfam recently found that the world’s richest 1% are responsible for double the emissions of the poorest 50%, while a mere 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global carbon emissions. A Life on Our Planet doesn’t dare touch the political element of this problem, and with a deranged climate change-denier like Donald Trump in the White House, currently opposed by Joe “I don’t support the Green New Deal” Biden, there’s a lot left unsaid. The real purpose of the documentary, however, is to highlight the scale of the problem, warn of the potential consequences, and lastly, install a sense of hope. I think A Life on Our Planet does that very successfully. There’s a light on the horizon; it might look like a forest fire, but hopefully, it’s the dawn of a new era of environmental consciousness.

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Springhill Township in Fayette County PA is adjacent to Cheat Lake, to the north
by Duane Nichols 06 Oct '20

06 Oct '20

PA Permit Violation Issued to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette County Description: Administrative violation issued on 10/02/2020 to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette county. 78.121(A) - WELL REPORTING - PRODUCTION REPORTING - Conventional operator failed to submit annual conventional production and status report for permitted or registered well. Incident Date/Time: 2020-10-02 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, violation, drilling PA Permit Violation Issued to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette County Description: Administrative violation issued on 10/02/2020 to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette county. 78.88(e) - OPERATING WELLS - MECHANICAL INTEGRITY OF OPERATING WELLS - Operator failed to submit an annual report to the Department identifying the compliance status of each well with the mechanical integrity requirements for structurally sound wells in compliance with 25 Pa. Code Section 78.73(c). Incident Date/Time: 2020-10-02 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, violation, drilling PA Permit Violation Issued to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette County Description: Administrative violation issued on 10/02/2020 to THE PRODUCTION CO LLC in Springhill Twp, Fayette county. OGA3211(H) - WELL PERMITS - LABELING - Failure to install, in a permanent manner, the permit number on a completed well. Incident Date/Time: 2020-10-02 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, violation, drilling SkyTruth P.O. Box 3283 Shepherdstown, WV 25443 info(a)skytruth.org +1 (304) 885-4581

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Drilling Started in the Cheat Lake Area
by Duane Nichols 29 Sep '20

29 Sep '20

INR OPR LLC Reports Drilling Started (SPUD) in Springhill Twp Township Description: INR OPR LLC reports drilling started on 9/29/2020 at site COASTAL 4H in Springhill Twp township, Fayette county Incident Date/Time: 2020-09-29 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, spud, drilling INR OPR LLC Reports Drilling Started (SPUD) in Springhill Twp Township Description: INR OPR LLC reports drilling started on 9/29/2020 at site COASTAL 2H in Springhill Twp township, Fayette county Incident Date/Time: 2020-09-29 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, spud, drilling SkyTruth P.O. Box 3283 Shepherdstown, WV 25443 info(a)skytruth.org +1 (304) 885-4581

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Drilling/Fracking permits near Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols 28 Sep '20

28 Sep '20

PA Gas Drilling Permit Issued in Springhill Twp Township, PA Description: Gas permit issued on 9/22/2020 to INR OPR LLC for site COASTAL 2H in Springhill Twp township, Fayette county Incident Date/Time: 2020-09-22 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, permit, drilling, Gas PA Gas Drilling Permit Issued in Springhill Twp Township, PA Description: Gas permit issued on 9/22/2020 to INR OPR LLC for site COASTAL 4H in Springhill Twp township, Fayette county Incident Date/Time: 2020-09-22 00:00:00 Tags: PADEP, frack, permit, drilling, Gas SkyTruth P.O. Box 3283 Shepherdstown, WV 25443 info(a)skytruth.org +1 (304) 885-4581

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NEW .... Climate Change Report for WV
by Duane Nichols 23 Sep '20

23 Sep '20

A CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO CLIMATE CHANGE — The Causes, Impacts and Potential Solutions https://wvrivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/wvclimate.pdf Sent from my iPad

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W.Va. Native Takes Reins As New National Park Service Head | West Virginia Public Broadcasting
by Duane Nichols 16 Sep '20

16 Sep '20

https://www.wvpublic.org/post/wva-native-takes-reins-new-national-park-serv… W.Va. Native Takes Reins As New National Park Service Head West Virginia Public Broadcasting Listen to West Virginia Morning on Sept. 16, 2020. Find out about her life in the Cheat Lake Area ....... https://www.wvpublic.org/post/wva-native-takes-reins-new-national-park-serv… On this West Virginia Morning, the National Park Service has a new person in charge, and she’s from West Virginia. We have a conversation with Margaret Everson, the organization’s new leader. Also, in this show, we hear about a new book titled “The Southern Wildlife Watcher: Notes of a Naturalist” written by author Rob Simbek. ‌The‌ ‌National‌ ‌Park‌ ‌Service‌ hired ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌leader‌ ‌last month.‌ ‌Margaret‌ ‌Everson‌ ‌grew‌ ‌up‌ ‌in‌ ‌West‌ ‌Virginia‌ ‌and‌ ‌has‌ ‌decades‌ ‌of‌ ‌natural‌ ‌resources‌ ‌experience.‌ ‌Most‌ ‌recently‌ ‌she‌ ‌was‌ ‌principal‌ ‌deputy‌ ‌director‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ U.S. ‌Fish‌ ‌and‌ ‌Wildlife‌ ‌Service,‌ ‌but‌ ‌has‌ ‌also‌ ‌worked‌ ‌for‌ ‌Ducks‌ ‌Unlimited‌ ‌and‌ ‌as‌ ‌general‌ ‌counsel‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌Kentucky‌ ‌Department‌ ‌of‌ ‌Fish‌ ‌and‌ ‌Wildlife‌ ‌Resources. Reporter‌ ‌Brittany‌ ‌Patterson‌ ‌spoke‌ ‌with‌ ‌Everson‌ ‌about‌ ‌how‌ ‌growing‌ ‌up‌ ‌in‌ ‌West‌ ‌Virginia‌ ‌affected‌ ‌her‌ ‌outlook‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌natural‌ ‌world,‌ ‌how‌ ‌the‌ ‌agency‌ ‌is‌ ‌balancing‌ ‌newfound‌ ‌interest‌ ‌in‌ ‌its‌ parks‌ ‌during‌ ‌the‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌pandemic‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌a‌ ‌recently-passed‌ ‌law‌ ‌could‌ ‌bring‌ ‌big‌ ‌changes‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌National‌ ‌Park‌ ‌Service.‌ In a new book titled “The Southern Wildlife Watcher: Notes of a Naturalist,” author Rob Simbek explores the wonders and curiosities of wild animals you might be taking for granted, like coyotes, American Robins, or even often underappreciated earthworms. The book features essays about 36 animals — 12 each that closely share land, water and air with humans throughout the southeastern United States. Eric Douglas spoke with him to learn more. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning SOURCE: https://www.wvpublic.org/post/wva-native-takes-reins-new-national-park-serv…

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Dog reduces wildlife.docx
by Duane Nichols 31 Aug '20

31 Aug '20

Dogs and cats have their place(s). But, wildlife have a birthright to a life on Earth, also.

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Fwd: Lake Lynn - Cheat Lake South Trail
by Ella Belling 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Forwarding this good news on Cheat Lake Trail and just posted on MRTC Facebook if you would like to share post. I believe the trail is 4.5 miles- is this correct? Hope you all have a good day, Ella Ella Belling Executive Director Mon River Trails Conservancy P.O. Box 282 Morgantown, WV 26507 http://montrails.org 304-692-6782 > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Jody Smet <Jody.Smet(a)eaglecreekre.com> > Subject: Lake Lynn - Cheat Lake South Trail > Date: August 24, 2020 at 11:47:35 AM EDT > To: Ella Belling <ella(a)montrails.org> > > Ella, > > We’re planning to fully open the Cheat Lake South Trail this Wednesday, August 26. > __________________________________________________________________ > Jody J. Smet, AICP | Vice President Regulatory Affairs > Eagle Creek Renewable Energy > Desk: 804 739 0654 > Mobile: 804 382 1764 > Email: jody.smet(a)eaglecreekre.com <mailto:jody.smet@eaglecreekre.com> > > This message is intended only for the named recipient and may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any misdirected transmission. If you received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and delete this message from your system. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use, disclose, distribute or copy any part of this message.

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Water Sports are Quite Popular
by Duane Nichols 23 Aug '20

23 Aug '20

Be Local: Get outside with region's many attractions By John Sacco For the Observer-Reporter newsroom(a)observer-reporter.com, Washington, PA, August 22, 2020 Facebook Twitter SMS Email Families have turned to more outdoor activities in lieu of vacations this summer. More people are spending leisure time on boats, going fishing, water skiing, kayaking, hiking and other outdoor activities. One of the spots is near Ohio Pyle where folks are making use of Wilderness Voyageurs. The Ohiopyle-based company features whitewater rafting on 15 rivers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. It offers Youghiogheny River, Cheat River and Savage River rafting trips. People can also learn to kayak, mountain bike or fly fish with instructors at Ohiopyle. Fully supported Inn to Inn Bike Tours throughout the United States are offered by the nationwide company. Von Braddock, of West Brownsville, said he has taken his boat out on the Monongahela River quite a bit this year and has seen a big increase of activity on the water through kayaking, jet skiing and people just enjoying time on the water. “I’ve been out there more this year than any of the previous 15 years I’ve had the boat and by a lot,” Braddock said. “The weather has really been good, especially compared with last year when it wasn’t too good. I’ve had the boat out at least 20 times.” Braddock said equipment and accessories are difficult to find. He said his son needed an oar several weeks ago. Not only was it hard to find, but Braddock said, “it was about $20 more than usual. Go try and buy a kayak right now. You’ll have a tough time finding them. “People are out more on the water because they are looking for things to do (in the face of the pandemic). It’s hard to but a used or new boat right now. Nobody has them.” Others who launch boats from Greene Cove in Clarksville reported more activity than usual. “It’s something to do,” said a patron who preferred anonymity. “Many people skipped vacations this year and are enjoying more water activities to make up for lost vacation and down time.” Ed Schultz, co-owner of Greene Cove, said while the restaurant there has been steady in the face of restrictions because of the pandemic, the uptick in water activity is certain. “I’ve seen a lot more boating this year,” Schultz said. “We have had groups of kayakers come up and have lunch. They are out in full force.” Schultz confirmed accessories and boats are hard to find. “Kayaks are scarce,” he said. “They are really tough to find. I’ve heard boat sales are up 20%. We don’t sell boats, but we do supply motors for boats. One guy in Fairchance was worried in March about what he was going to do with all his boats. By mid June, he didn’t have any. “People are traveling as much and are not traveling abroad and they are spending more on toys to have some fun at home.” Leanne August, of Monessen, said she’s enjoyed activities in Deep Creek, Md., this summer. “It’s all related to the lake,” she said. “I enjoy breakfast at Little Sandy’s (a diner) and all sorts of other restaurants and shops. At Bill’s Marina, you see a lot of boats, kayaks and paddle boarders. “There so much to do, ice cream shops, shopping. I just like hanging out.”

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2020 Summer Recreation: Peak Harmful Algae Season and the Pandemic | NRDC
by Duane Nichols 23 Aug '20

23 Aug '20

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/arohi-sharma/2020-summer-recreation-peak-harmf… 2020 Summer Recreation: Peak Harmful Algae Season and the Pandemic August 17, 2020 Arohi Sharma, National Resources Defense Council As many head to local swimming holes for a socially distant way to cool off, an updated NRDC report shows state agencies are largely unable to keep up with the growing threat of harmful algal blooms. Visitors enjoy a day in Buffalo National River near Tyler Bend, Arkansas. T. Fondriest/National Park Service Quarantining and sheltering in place from COVID-19 has a lot of us going stir-crazy—myself included. With summer in full swing, more of us are itching to get outside safely. Unfortunately, we’re also right in the middle of peak harmful algal bloom (HAB) season. While state agencies are understandably redirecting resources to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the resources normally used to test recreational freshwater bodies for HAB events—including the dangerous toxins that are harmful to humans and pets—are on hold. This concerns me because, as NRDC’s updated What’s Lurking in Your Lake assessment shows, state agencies are already under-resourced to address HABs. Furthermore, our updated scorecards and mapping efforts show there is not enough comprehensive freshwater HAB data collection. With state budgets being redirected, it’s unclear whether proactive freshwater HAB data collection will get necessary funding in coming years. First, what are harmful algal blooms—or HABs? While HABs along our ocean coastlines—like red tide events in Florida—garner more media attention, HAB events also occur in our nation’s freshwater bodies. As I wrote last year, HABs occur when excess nutrients make their way into water ecosystems. Nutrients are food for the cyanobacteria that are normally present in freshwater ecosystems. But when excess nutrients are paired with other enabling factors like warmer weather and stagnant water, cyanobacteria proliferate. Some species of cyanobacteria leech cyanotoxins, which can be harmful to humans, especially children, as well as dogs. The increased outdoor recreation in the summer, and the fact that some states’ capacities are constrained due to COVID-19 response (like in Utah and Kansas), make it all the more important to be aware of these events and how they can impact us. For states like Maine, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which are home to tens of thousands of freshwater bodies, funding constraints could have severe impacts on efforts to prevent exposure to HABs. Buffalo River, the same river pictured above, suffers from a freshwater HAB outbreak National Park Service Results of NRDC’s updated assessment Last year, NRDC mapped freshwater HAB events across all 50 states from 2008 to 2018 because no such map exists at the federal level. This week, we updated that map to include 2019 freshwater HAB data and revised each state’s freshwater HAB program scorecard. Those updated scorecards provide a baseline understanding of each state’s freshwater HAB program. They also signal whether states are prepared to proactively prevent exposure to, and respond to, freshwater HAB events. As the chart below shows, there are noticeable improvements in state freshwater HAB programs from last year, but the overall outlook remains the same: State agencies don’t have the resources to effectively address HABs. Results from NRDC’s “What’s Lurking in Your Lake” Some of the improvements observed from our updated scorecards include: Seven more states (California, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming) scored an overall “excellent” rating compared to last year. Five states (Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee) have created new websites that share information on freshwater HABs in their states. Seventeen states improved the information made available on their websites. Six additional states (Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin) adopted cyanotoxin thresholds since last year. Nine additional states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee) developed and/or created response protocols for how to respond to HAB outbreaks. From this list, unfortunately, only Arkansas and Michigan have made their protocols available online. Nine additional states claim to be leveraging relationships with NGOs and local organizations to communicate HAB information to the public compared to last year. We found 11 new states using social media to communicate HAB information to the public. Some disconcerting trends from our updated analysis include: 36 states do not collect comprehensive HAB data. 34 states do not make HAB data easily available to the public. 29 states do not make their response protocols available online. 24 states do not proactively sample for cyanobacteria or cyanotoxins. 20 states claim they do not have the authority to issue recreational advisories. The role of data in decision-making The adage “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” plays into my work every day. The troubling trends highlighted in NRDC’s assessment have common threads: lack of data collection and inaccessibility of data. I firmly believe that comprehensive data collection is a necessary pillar of effective decision-making. Data show trends that can help address the root causes of problems, help us understand what we know and reveal what we don’t know, illuminate gaps in management and program efficacy, and provide information to hold decision-makers accountable. When states don’t collect comprehensive data nor make data available to the public, it’s tough to accomplish any of those goals. The Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately crystalizes what happens when decision makers politicize and withhold data. Public health decisions and emergency response become undermined by politics instead of empowered by evidence. Double down on prevention The federal government could be preventing the kind of excess nutrient runoff that contributes to HABs by enforcing the Clean Water Act, but it isn’t, so states are bearing the costly burden of testing, researching, responding, monitoring, and mitigating freshwater HAB events. Now, with the health and economic crises emerging from the pandemic, state agencies responsible for responding to freshwater HAB events are being asked to do more with less. According to NRDC’s updated assessment, 62 percent of states do not dedicate financial resources to respond to or research HAB events, which means state agencies tasked with HAB response must pull funding from other environmental remediation or water quality protection funds, compete with other agencies for funding, reduce funding for one area of HAB activity to supplement another, or simply forgo proactive testing altogether. Climate change will increase the frequency and duration of HAB events nationwide so the reactive approach to freshwater HAB response will only increase states’ future costs. While we all do everything we can to keep our families and loved ones safe this summer, NRDC will continue to hold states and the federal government accountable. Prevention is the smartest and most underutilized tool in our toolbox to combat HAB events so we will continue fighting this administration’s rollbacks to the Clean Water Act. We will also continue our advocacy for healthy soil stewardship because we know that building healthy soil addresses one of the root causes of freshwater HAB outbreaks—nutrient runoff. What to know for 2020 summer recreation I understand the need to get outdoors this summer—I’m feeling the urge too. Should you seek out lakes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, and streams, please look out for HAB indicators (e.g., blue-green colored water, a funky smell, dead fish, or caution signs, like the one below) and keep these things in mind: Dangerous HAB toxins that can harm your families and your pets are not visible to the naked eye. Removing blue-green algae or pond scum from the top of a freshwater body is not enough to keep your loved ones safe. If you see anything suspicious, stay out of the water and report the potential event to the appropriate state agency. If you need help figuring out how to report a HAB event, you can download your state’s scorecard. Keep your eyes peeled for caution signs that inform you whether the water is safe to recreate in. Finally: The lack of a caution sign doesn’t mean the waterbody isn’t experiencing a HAB event. It’s possible that your state doesn’t have the resources it needs to proactively test every single freshwater body, especially with COVID-19 still surging across the United States. Call the appropriate state agency or waterbody manager to inquire whether that waterbody has been tested for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins.

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Progress being made on repairs to the Cheat Lake rail trail (south section)
by Duane Nichols 19 Aug '20

19 Aug '20

From: Michael Strager <mstrager(a)wvu.edu> > Date: August 18, 2020 at 8:45:26 PM EDT > To: Duane Nichols <duane330(a)aol.com> > Subject: Progress being made on the Cheat Lake rail trail > > Picture from today. >

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Boat reportedly explodes in Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols 17 Aug '20

17 Aug '20

https://www.wdtv.com/2020/08/17/boat-reportedly-explodes-in-cheat-lake/ Boat reportedly explodes in Cheat Lake Officials say a boat exploded in Cheat Lake Sunday.(WDTV) CHEAT LAKE, W.Va (WDTV) - Officials from Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department (Co. 14) confirm a boat exploded Sunday afternoon. Officials also say there were multiple transports. Adam Romesburg, who was fishing at Cheat Lake’s Mt. Chateau Rd. dock when the incident occurred, said he saw a large parade of emergency services vehicles travel through Mt. Chateau Rd. at around 7 o’clock. “We thought someone was in trouble,” says Romesburg. “We didn’t see anything except for all the emergency vehicles coming, for that many fire trucks and police cars, especially the ambulances - there were five or six ambulances as well, we knew there was some kind of big accident with boats.” This is a developing story. Stick with 5 News for updates. Copyright 2020 WDTV. All rights reserved. Sent from my iPad

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Lawsuit Alleges Union Carbide Failed To Report Toxic Landfill | West Virginia Public Broadcasting
by Duane Nichols 11 Aug '20

11 Aug '20

Lawsuit Alleges Union Carbide Failed To Report Toxic Landfill | West Virginia Public Broadcasting Leigh Anne Keener, August 10, 2020 — And this is another fine example of corporate greed in WV. Always leaving us the collateral damage. "But the full extent of what could be going on remains hidden. The bulk of the monitoring data and information about this landfill remains under a protective order asked for by Union Carbide. West Virginia Public Broadcasting has joined Green and some members of the Davis Creek Watershed Association in asking the judge to make the records public, given the possible public health and safety ramifications of the dumping. The judge is currently considering unsealing about two dozen documents. " West Virginia Rivers Coalition, August 10, 2020 — I've been doing environmental law in some form or fashion for 30 years, and I have never seen anything like this - Michael Callaghan, attorney https://www.wvpublic.org/post/lawsuit-alleges-union-carbide-failed-report-t…

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Permit Supervisor Findings.pdf
by Duane Nichols 05 Aug '20

05 Aug '20

Note. CLEAR opposed the attached permit for renewal of a surface coal mine on Beaver Creek of the Blackwater River of the Cheat River. CLEAR recommended that if the permit is approved, continuous monitor of pH and conductivity would be practical and useful to help protect the waters downstream of the mining and reclamation activities. The permit has been approved, as shown in the attachment. Sent from my iPad

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Lab Analysis from CLEAR — Cheat Lake & Mon River
by Duane Nichols 21 Jul '20

21 Jul '20

Attached please find Lab Analysis results for three water samples, namely Cheat Lake, the Mon River, and MUB tap water all collected on the same day, June 11, 2020. On that date the Mon River TDS was exceeding 400 microsiemens per centimeter on the USGS monitor at Pt. Marion. > Subject: Lab Analysis > >

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Cheat River History - Then and Now - Wilderness Voyageurs
by Duane Nichols 04 Jul '20

04 Jul '20

Cheat River History – Then And Now — Wilderness Voyageurs The magnificent Cheat River flows from five major tributaries (Black Fork, Dry Fork, Glady Fork, Laurel Fork, and Shavers Fork) which originate in the rugged Monongahela National Forest and join to form the main river stem near Parsons, West Virginia. From Parsons, the scenic Cheat flows nearly 162 miles past the historic river towns of St. George, Rowlesburg and Albright before reaching Cheat Lake and discharging into the Monongahela River at Point Marion in Pennsylvania. The entire watershed spans an impressive 1422 square miles, and the river is one of the longest un-dammed waterways in the eastern United States. https://wilderness-voyageurs.com/cheat-river-history-then-now/

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The Overstory - Richard Powers
by Duane Nichols 27 Jun '20

27 Jun '20

http://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/ The Overstory April 15, 2019 Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction Shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize New York Times Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book and a Washington Post, Time, Oprah Magazine, Newsweek, Chicago Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, and Amazon Best Book of the Year Now Available in Paperback The Overstory, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of—and paean to—the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds, Richard Powers’s twelfth novel unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe. Praise for The Overstory by Richard Powers “Autumn makes me think of leaves, which makes me think of trees, which makes me think of The Overstory, the best novel ever written about trees, and really, just one of the best novels, period.” —Ann Patchett “Monumental…The Overstory accomplishes what few living writers from either camp, art or science, could attempt. Using the tools of the story, he pulls readers heart-first into a perspective so much longer-lived and more subtly developed than the human purview that we gain glimpses of a vast, primordial sensibility, while watching our own kind get whittled down to size…A gigantic fable of genuine truths.” —Barbara Kingsolver, New York Times Book Review (cover review) “Remarkable…This ambitious novel soars up through the canopy of American literature and remakes the landscape of environmental fiction.” —Ron Charles, Washington Post “A big, ambitious epic…Powers juggles the personal dramas of his far-flung cast with vigor and clarity. The human elements of the book—the arcs his characters follow over the decades from crusading passion to muddled regret and a sense of failure—are thoroughly compelling. So are the extra-human elements, thanks to the extraordinary imaginative flights of Powers’s prose, which persuades you on the very first page that you’re hearing the voices of trees as they chide our species.” —Michael Upchurch, Boston Globe “A rousing, full-throated hymn to Nature’s grandeur.” —Dan Cryer, San Francisco Chronicle “An extraordinary novel…An astonishing performance…There is something exhilarating, too, in reading a novel whose context is wider than human life. The Overstory leaves you with a slightly adjusted frame of reference…What was happening to his characters passed into my conscience, like alcohol into the bloodstream, and left a feeling behind of grief or guilt, even after I put it down.” —Benjamin Markovits, The Guardian “[Powers is] brilliant on the strange idea of ‘plant personhood…’ opening our eyes to the wondrous things just above our line of sight. Memorable chapters unfold [with] many unforgettable images in a novel devoted to ‘reviving that dead metaphor at the heart of the word bewilderment.’” —Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal “Richard Powers’ 12th novel is a rare specimen: a Great American Eco-Novel.” —Financial Times “This book is beyond special. Richard Powers manages to turn trees into vivid and engaging characters, something that indigenous people have done for eons but that modern literature has rarely if ever even attempted. It’s not just a completely absorbing, even overwhelming book; it’s a kind of breakthrough in the ways we think about and understand the world around us, at a moment when that is desperately needed.” —Bill McKibben “The Overstory is a visionary, accessible legend for the planet that owns us, its exaltation and its peril, a remarkable achievement by a great writer.” —Thomas McGuane “The Overstory is a visionary, accessible legend for the planet that owns us, its exaltation and its peril, a remarkable achievement by a great writer.” —Tim Martin, Telegraph (UK) “A colleague of mine once claimed that a critic’s opinions are worth less than his or her ability to convey what a book is like. If that’s true, never mind that I believe Richard Powers’ 12th novel to be a masterwork sculpted from sheer awe. Instead, know that reading The Overstory will convince you that we walk among gods every time we enter a forest.” —Adam Morgan, Minneapolis Star Tribune “The time is ripe for a big novel that tells us as much about trees as Moby-Dick does about whales…The Overstory is that novel and it is very nearly a masterpiece…On almost every page of The Overstory you will find sentences that combine precision and vision.” —The Times (London) “An immense and intense homage to the arboreal world (its biological sophistication, its rich panoply of environmental benefits), the book is alive with riveting data, cogent reasoning and urgent argument. Pages that take you into menaced remnants of primeval forest or contemplate singularly splendid or fascinating trees teem with knowledge and gleam with aesthetic appeal.” —The Sunday Times (UK) “Richard Powers’s novel will complicate the way you think about the environment, activism, our gossamer connection with each other and nature…[I] cannot recommend The Overstory enough.” —Bradford Morrow “A masterpiece of operatic proportions…A magnificent achievement.” —Kirkus (starred review) “A magnificent saga…Powers’s sylvan tour de force is alive with gorgeous descriptions; continually surprising, often heartbreaking characters; complex suspense; unflinching scrutiny of pain; celebration of creativity and connection; and informed and expressive awe over the planet’s life force and its countless and miraculous manifestations…profound and symphonic.” —Booklist (starred review) “A deep meditation on the irreparable psychic damage that manifests in our unmitigated separation from nature.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Vast, magnificent, and disturbing…An array of human temperaments and predicaments as manifold as Charles Dickens’ or Leo Tolstoy’s…I have never read anything so pessimistic and yet so hopeful.” —BookPage Sent from my iPad

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Making sense of whitewater rapid classifications - West Virginia Explorer
by Duane Nichols 20 Jun '20

20 Jun '20

https://wvexplorer.com/2020/06/19/scale-difficulty-rapids-west-virginia-kay… Making sense of whitewater rapid classifications From Mark Armstrong, West Virginia Explorer, June 19, 2020 Kayaker navigate a rapid on Deckers Creek near Morgantown, West Virginia (Photo courtesy Dan Friend) With its many rivers coursing through many different kinds of terrain, West Virginia is a paradise for paddlers and rafters, especially where whitewater paddling is concerned. Advertisement So familiarizing yourself with the International Scale of River Difficulty and understanding how whitewater rapids are classified could prove advisable if you're planning a visit to the mountainous regions of the state. No matter your level of experience, you should never grab a raft, kayak, or paddleboard and head off to a river without getting an idea of what awaits you. The scale, which rates how difficult it is to navigate a river or rapid, was developed by the American Whitewater Association and is used internationally. By checking how West Virginia’s rivers and their rapids are classified, you can make the most of what is available by planning paddling or rafting trips that are appropriate for your skill level. Class I Rapids Although the water tends to move fast at Class I rapids, you seldom will find more than small waves and riffles. There are few obstructions, and those that are there are relatively easy to miss. Even so, you should not attempt to paddle Class I rapids if you haven’t had any training. This class is popular with paddlers and rafters who want a bit of lazy time on a river so they can enjoy the view. The South Fork of the Shenandoah River between Inskeep Landing and Foster’s Landing is where you can find some of the state’s best rapids in this class. Class II Rapids Suitable for novice paddlers and rafters, Class II rapids are straightforward. There are medium-sized waves and rocks that you will need to navigate, but on the whole, the channels are wide and clear. Exercise caution if you plan to do some swimming along the way. You can find several Class II rapids on the Shenandoah River, the best of which are the Mad Dog rapids, which are just after the confluence with the Potomac River. Class III Rapids Fast currents, powerful eddies, ledges, narrow passages, and moderate but irregular waves all are features of Class III rapids. They are suitable for paddlers and rafters with intermediate skills or higher, as successful navigation depends on solid boat control as well as executing challenging maneuvers in tricky spots. Scouting is a good idea. Some of West Virginia’s best Class III rapids are at Cheat Narrows on the Cheat River, and the Lower Staircase on the Lower Gauley River. Class IV Rapids As intensely powerful as they can be, Class IV rapids tend to be somewhat predictable. Even so, your boat handling needs to be precise because some of the dangerous hazards are unavoidable. You could face narrow passages as well as large waves and holes, so advanced skills are a must for rapids of this class. Be warned that, if you go swimming in a Class IV rapid, self-rescue is considerably more challenging than if it happens at a class I, II, or III spot. You can find great Class IV rapids on the Cranberry River, the upper Big Sandy Creek, and Cheat Canyon. The Lower New River offers Class IV rapids and calm pools from July through March. That changes dramatically between April and June when rain and snowmelt increase the volume of the river. Class V Rapids Suitable for experts only, Class V rapids are risky. They tend to be long, with many obstructions, and they can be turbulent to the point of violence. Holes, large waves, and steep chutes are common features of rapids in this class. What’s more, the class has multiple levels of magnitude, which usually are numbered as 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, etc. Rescues are difficult, so you need to be physically fit, and you need to know what you are doing. Scouting is recommended where possible. The upper and lower sections of the Blackwater River, as well as the Lower New River between April and June, offer challenging rapids in this class. The upper Gauley’s Big Five, namely the Iron Ring, Insignificant Rapid, Lost Paddle, Pillow Rock, and Sweet’s Falls, are some of the most famous Class V rapids in the state. If you’re looking for Class V+, head to Mann Creek. Class VI Rapids Dangerous, unpredictable, and in many cases, not yet attempted, Class VI rapids are best avoided unless you are a member of a team of experts. Some rapids in this class were attempted when river conditions allowed them to, and only after the teams inspected them thoroughly. In a few cases, Class VI spots were reclassified as Class V+. Points To Remember There are a few important points to remember about rivers, rapids, and the International Scale of River Difficulty. To summarize them in three words—things can change. Like all rivers, those in West Virginia are changeable. Various conditions can affect the water level, which ultimately determines their navigability. A few days of heavy rain can turn rapids that in ordinary circumstances would be suitable for relatively inexperienced paddlers into whitewater that would make seasoned experts think twice. Most, if not all rivers, have rapids of different classes, and those classes are somewhat flexible. For example, you can find Class II rapids that are difficult, and Class III rapids that are relatively easy. Levels of greater ease or increased difficulty are indicated by + and – symbols after the grading according to the scale. What’s more, you cannot classify an entire river based on one or two rapids. Rivers flow faster and get wider the further downstream you go. Between that and changes in terrain, one river can have several different classes of rapids. Before heading out to face rapids on any of the Mountain State’s rivers, check their classification according to the International Scale of River Difficulty, review current local conditions, and see if you can find recent first-hand accounts by paddlers or rafters who have navigated the water before. Knowing the classification of rapids could save your life and understanding how they differ and what conditions they involve is essential for anyone keen on getting out on the water. Advertisement Sent from my iPad

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Action Alert: Senate Prepares To Vote On Public Lands Legislation
by Duane Nichols 11 Jun '20

11 Jun '20

Action Alert: Senate Prepares To Vote On Public Lands Legislation From West Virginia Rivers Coalition, June 10, 2020 The US Senate will soon vote on the Great American Outdoors Act, a strong bipartisan bill which touts Senator Manchin as a lead sponsor and Senator Capito as a co-sponsor. Now is the time to contact Senators Manchin and Capito to encourage their continued leadership and support of the Act. Send a message here. The Great American Outdoors Act ensures that the Land and Water Conservation Fund would receive full program funding each year without going through a drawn-out appropriations process which often leaves it underfunded. LWCF is a highly effective program that uses royalties from offshore oil and gas development to fund recreation and conservation projects. Additionally, the Great American Outdoors Act would provide $9.5 billion over the next 5 years to address the maintenance backlog plaguing our nation’s public lands. https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/senategaoa2?wvpId=caf2f589-2407-4ff5-bf54-96…

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In Memory of George Floyd
by Duane Nichols 02 Jun '20

02 Jun '20

Dream Catcher Circle, Forks of Cheat Forest, Stewartstown, WV Sent from my iPad, DGN

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Wastewater testing gains support as early warning for Covid-19 - STAT
by Duane Nichols 31 May '20

31 May '20

https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/28/wastewater-testing-gains-support-as-cov… Wastewater testing gains traction as a Covid-19 early warning system From an Article by Sharon Begley, STAT News, May 28, 2020 An aerial view of a wastewater treatment plant in Oakland, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images What only a month ago had been merely an intriguing laboratory finding about analyzing wastewater to detect the virus that causes Covid-19 has quickly leapt to the threshold of real-world use. With swab tests still plagued by capacity issues, inaccuracy, and slow turnaround, testing wastewater for the novel coronavirus’ genetic signature could give communities a faster way to spot a rebound in cases — as soon as this fall. “There is real hope that this can be a sensitive, early warning” if, as officials ease social distancing measures, Covid-19 begins to spread again, said Peter Grevatt, CEO of the nonprofit Water Research Foundation. “Several labs have achieved a proof-of-concept in terms of demonstrating the ability to detect the RNA [genetic material] of the virus in wastewater.” Studies in the U.S. and the Netherlands, among others, have shown you can pick up a signal about a week before the first clinical case. Grevatt and his colleagues briefed congressional staffers last week on the potential for wastewater analysis to be the canary in the Covid-19 coal mine, and on Wednesday the National Academies’ Water Science and Technology Board hosted a panel discussion on how to build a surveillance network and what additional research is needed to make it work. Water utilities from southeastern Virginia to Portland, Ore., are already conducting the analysis on their own. And by next week, Grevatt’s group will have identified the labs that will participate in a quality control test deemed crucial for rolling out a nationwide effort to analyze wastewater for coronavirus: The foundation will send wastewater samples gathered by several utilities to all participating labs and have them run the analysis, compare results, and agree on best practices. “We hope to have results of this lab-to-lab comparison by the end of the summer,” Grevatt said. Countries are not waiting for every scientific question to be answered. Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands have already launched national wastewater surveillance programs to catch any resurgence of Covid-19. “People are already starting to scale this up,” environmental engineer David Sedlak of the University of California, Berkeley, told the Academies’ panel. The stakes are enormous. As states ease social distancing, they need to know if they are reopening too quickly. If they can’t detect a surge of cases until patients show up in emergency rooms, it could be too late to prevent a repeat of this spring, when hospitals in New York City and elsewhere were overwhelmed. If, as many hope, the country makes it through the summer with a “flattened curve” — keeping cases below the number that hospitals can handle — then it will be crucial to be on high alert for any second wave in the fall. Otherwise, the body count will rise and the nation could face another economically crippling shutdown. “It’s tremendously important to get this right,” Grevatt said. “These are life-and-death questions.” And although more research is needed to figure out if, for instance, the amount of virus in stool and therefore wastewater varies with the severity of disease, “this has the potential to be implemented in the current pandemic.” “Wastewater epidemiology” has been used for decades to detect polio in countries where the disease remains endemic and, more recently, to estimate the prevalence of opioid abuse in U.S. communities. “We know that SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes Covid-19] is shed in stool, which means it can be collected in sewage systems,” said Megan Murray of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In small studies so far, the detection of the new coronavirus in sewage samples “has correlated very nicely with the arrival of Covid-19 into different communities,” she added, including picking up “significant amounts of viral material” in Boston sewage weeks before cases arrived in March. In addition to detecting cases sooner, wastewater analysis can also get around the well-known limitations of the swab tests used to detect Covid-19. If the test (which looks for the virus’ genes) is given to 100 infected people, it will miss about 67 if they are four days after infection and 38 if they are on the first day of experiencing symptoms, incorrectly pronouncing them virus-free, Johns Hopkins researchers reported this month in Annals of Internal Medicine. And although Covid-19 testing in the U.S. has become more available and faster, testing capacity is still nowhere near enough to test everyone every few days, which would be necessary to, for instance, safely re-open schools and workplaces. “Wastewater offers the opportunity to provide near real-time trend data to evaluate the impact of policymaking,” such as re-opening the economy, said Mariana Matus, CEO and co-founder of Boston-based Biobot Analytics. It can provide “early warning for second waves, and the opportunity to mass-test up to 75% of the U.S. population on a regular basis at a fraction of the cost of clinical testing.” Getting even a weeklong head start on detecting cases can make a huge difference. If the U.S. had begun imposing social distancing measures one week earlier than it did in March, the death toll by early May would have been 36,000 lower, Columbia University researchers calculated this month. Two weeks earlier would have averted 54,000 deaths. Biobot is working with about 400 water facilities in 42 states to see if wastewater epidemiology for Covid-19 in the real world can live up to the hopes inspired by early lab tests. (Many of the utilities are also running their own, independent tests.) When it analyzed wastewater from a Massachusetts plant from March 18 to 25, it found high levels of several telltale SARS-CoV-2 genes. Although that indicated that some number of people had Covid-19, it wasn’t clear how many. Biobot’s analysis “can distinguish between 10 and 100 [cases],” Matus said, “but we are running experiments to get more precise estimates.” Doing that should be at the top of the research agenda, Grevatt said: “Work is moving in a direction where you may be able to count the cases in a community, but we aren’t there yet.” To get there, scientists must figure out when during the course of infection people shed virus in stool, whether the amount of viral shedding is the same in severe and mild or even asymptomatic cases, and whether the quality of an area’s water — mineral content, industrial effluent, and other components — affect the detection of viral genes. They’d also like to know where, in the water treatment facility, is the best place to sample for the coronavirus. On Tuesday, scientists in Spain reported a preliminary answer: remnants of virus, including its genes, tend to collect at the “sludge line” in the large settling tanks that separate solids and liquid. Even if wastewater analysis can’t yet quantify cases, it can detect when their prevalence changes. Scientists in France reported that the rise and fall of confirmed infections in Paris correlated with the amount of virus detected in sewage from March 5 to April 23 (France’s lockdown began on March 17). “Viral genomes could be detected before the beginning of the exponential growth of the epidemic,” the scientists found, and “a marked decrease in [viral RNA] was observed” as case numbers fell. That and other studies show that “you can track changes like those we’re seeing right now in many communities” as they ease social distancing, Grevatt said. “There are many areas of the country, especially rural ones, that may not even have an infection yet. Wastewater analysis can tell them when they do,” days before someone shows up sick. Utilities aren’t waiting for every research question to be answered. Oregon’s Clean Water Services, a utility that serves 613,000 people west of Portland, is part of Biobot’s network, sending weekly samples to the company. It is also doing its own research, trying to answer key questions such as how rain affects viral concentration, said Ken Williamson, director of regulatory affairs. Engineers at the Southern Nevada Water Authority found high levels of five SARS-CoV-2 genes in samples taken around March 9, which lines up with when the state has its first confirmed case, said civil engineer Dan Gerrity of the authority and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. They found a peak in late March and early April, with ups and downs through late May — also mimicking reported case counts. Hampton Roads Sanitation District in southeastern Virginia started sampling for SARS-CoV-2 on March 11 “to look at trends and estimate what prevalence might look like,” said Jim Pletl, director of water quality for the utility. Cost: $70,000 for an automated RNA extractor (to get the genetic material out of cells), $70,000 for a digital PCR machine (to identify the genes), and $100 per sample. For its inter-lab study, the Water Research Foundation will see if the analyses agree, hoping to come up with best practices that can guide nationwide implementation as soon as this fall. “That,” Grevatt said, “is going to be important for the scientific credibility of this approach.”

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COVID-19 Testing of CHEAT LAKE & MON RIVER Requested
by Duane Nichols 31 May '20

31 May '20

TO: John Welch, et. al., MON COUNTY HEALTH DEPT. CLEAR requests that the water in Cheat Lake be tested at least once each week for the COVID-19 Virus. We have studied this issue and believe there is amble justification since various forms of wastewater enter the Lake. A similar case can be made for the Monongahela River. We know that there are residual suspended solids in both streams. These solids carry adsorbed and absorbed materials including active species. It is therefore in the public interest that both water bodies be sampled and tested on a weekly basis. We wish to protect the public health as swimming and other water sports are quite popular in both water bodies. Thank you for your help at this time. Duane Nichols, President, Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association and Co-coordinator, Monongahela Area Watersheds Compact, May 29, 2020

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88 Garlow Drive- Cheat Lake, W.V. - YouTube
by Duane Nichols 26 May '20

26 May '20

John Garlow continues his major contributions. Did you ever walk a picket line with him? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAQdelf8s9M

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