Into the Canyon

Newsletter of Friends of the Cheat Fall 2005 Jenkinsburg River Access Project Complete by Charlie Walbridge

Two years ago the State of made a strong effort to purchase the spectacular Canyon. After they were outbid by Allegheny Wood Products (AWP), a large logging company, river access became an immediate concern. AWP now owned Jenkinsburg, the site of an old logging town, which had been used by paddlers since the mid-1950’s. It’s the only takeout for the Cheat below and the lower Big Sandy, both popu- lar whitewater runs that draw thousands of canoe, A geotextile erosion control mat was installed on the kayak, and rafting enthusiasts to the area each year. slope that is used for taking out the large rafts. This It is also a popular place for swimming and picnick- was covered with coarse gravel and the banks were ing in the summer. But the area has been the scene seeded and mulched to hold the soil. of considerable abuse. Heavy use by ATV riders and party groups had caused considerable damage over All of the work done is to decrease sedimentation into the last two decades. The area has been notorious the river. We continue to monitor the area for signs of for waist-deep mud holes and industrial-strength ATV damage, trash and abuse of the restoration work. litter. The Cheat Canyon Coalition, a group of organi- zations that had worked together to support the state’s purchase effort, contacted AWP immediately In this issue after the sale and offered to raise money to fix up the area at no cost to the company. But AWP was Jenkinsburg Access...... 1, 5, 6 unwilling to agree to a long term lease, without which fundraising would be impractical. After an ini- Working Upstream ...... 3, 4 tial meeting and a tour of the area with company Start the (Tour) Bus ...... 7 representatives, meaningful contact ended. Access AMD Vocabulary ...... 8 remained open, but without a long term agreement. Monitoring and Mapping ...... 8 A year after the purchase of the Cheat Canyon lands, AWP closed the Allegheny Trail through the Water Festival ...... 9 Cheat Canyon with no prior notice to the organiza- AMD Treatment Projects ...... 10,11 tion maintaining it. In light of this, the paddling com- Preston Rail-Trails Progress ...... 12 munity became increasingly concerned about ac- Rockville Access Purchased ...... 13 cess from the Cheat and Big Sandy Rivers. Some months before the Cheat Canyon pur- Ben’s Farewell ...... 14 chase effort a piece of privately owned land at the FOC Updates ...... 14

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Into the Canyon - 1 - Friends of the Cheat Into the Canyon Published by: Friends of the Cheat 119 S.Price St., #206 Kingwood, WV 26537 phone: 304-329-3621 fax: 304-329-3622 web: www.cheat.org email: [email protected]

Friends of the Cheat Board of Directors Jim Snyder, Chair and Secretary, Charlie Walbridge, Vice-Chair, Dave Bassage, Dave and Lena Cerbone, Paul Hart, Dan Lenox, Tom Nutter, Ralph Teter, Troy Titchenell

Friends of the Cheat Staff Keith Pitzer - executive director, Sally Wilts - office assistant, Ben Mack - Mapping and Monitoring, Danielle Adams - OSM VISTA

Business Sponsors

Adventure’s Edge • Alpine Lake Properties • Another World Glass • Appalachian Wildwaters • Aquafix Systems • J. Claudia Atkinson Catering • Backlund Paddles • Big Bear Lake • Bishop House and Conference Center • Bishop House Millworks • C.E.Bolyard and Son • BoofGEAR • Bubba’s Bistro • Cheat River Outfitters • Cool Runnings • Custom Inflatables • Delightful Dozens • East/West Printing • Filtersource • Fluid Kayaks • Grateful Heads Helmets • iPlayOutside.com Jan’s Novelties • Laughing Fish Coffee • Mario’s Fishbowl • MARPAT Corporation (WKMM) • Monroe’s Deli • Morgantown Energy Associates • Mountain Mist Products • Mountain Streams and Trails • Mountain Surf • Muskrat Paddles • Mylan Pharmaceuticals • Mystical Crystals • Ohiopyle Massage • Potesta & Associates • Preston Distributors • PS Composites • Pyranha • Rapidstyle • Riversport School of Paddling • Rocky Mountain Kayak • S&L Realty • Sony • Surface Dynamics • Sweet Annie’s Bakery •Teter’s Campground • The Underwear Guys • Tygart River Metalworks • Useful Solutions • Gail Anderson Vincent • Wavesport • We’re Nuts • West Virginia Brewing Company • WFSP • Whitewater Video.com

Major Donors with thanks to all of our members

Steven Barnett • Dave Bassage • Guy Alan Clark • Amy Congers • David & Linda Davidson • Stratford Douglas • Michael Farrell • Robert Gedokah • Joe Greiner • Ken Gfroerer & Lisa Smith • Mary Lynn Harden • John Harvey • Steve Ingalls& Anne Kmieck • Jack Kangas • Blakely Lacroix • Dan and Janet Lenox • Roberta Levine • John Logar • Tom McCloud • Constance Miller • Eloise Milne • Arch Moore • Anne and Wayne Nelson • Larry Pethick • Howie Pentony • Randy Robinson • Pamela Schwer • Peter F. Smith • Patty Snow • Jan Steckel • Toddi Steelman & Joe Sinsheimer • Keith Strausbaugh •Steve Taylor • Ann and Cecil Tickamyer • Fred Wright • Charlie and Sandy Walbridge • Ed Westfall • Nick and Amy Zervos

Organizations American Canoe Association • American Whitewater • Blue Ridge Voyageurs • Canaan Valley Institute • Canoe Cruisers Association • Cheat Lake Environmental and Recreation Association • Coopers Rock Foundation • Downstream Alliance • Friends of Deckers Creek • Friends of Laurel Mountain • Greater Baltimore Canoe Club • Harper’s Ferry Outdoor Festival • Keel Haulers Canoe Club • Kingwood Junior Women’s Club • Monocacy Canoe Club • Philadelphia Canoe Club • Preston County Commissioners • Project Wet • Richmond Whitewater Club • River Network • Shavers Fork Coalition • Three Rivers Paddling Club • Trout Unlimited • Upper Association • US Army Corps of Engineers • US EPA • US Office of Surface Mining • WV Department of Environmental Protection • WV Raptor Rehabilitation Center • WV Rivers Coalition • WV Save Our Streams • WV Stream Partners • WV Watershed Network • Zoar Valley Paddling Club

Into the Canyon - 2 - Friends of the Cheat Working Upstream realize that we should have offered this sooner By Keith Pitzer, Executive Director, Friends of the and we will do it again in the future. Cheat There is also an update on the monitoring and Fall came late this year. All through October, mapping project that continues to grow in scope the mountainsides stayed mostly green with very and importance each season. This information, little of the colorful expression we look forward to. compiled and mapped using GIS, gives us a ma- Then winter gave us a surprise early visit on Octo- jor tool to prioritize future AMD treatment, and to ber 24th. By the next morning the ground had get the best response for resources invested. three or more inches of wet heavy snow cover and trees still in leaf were bent over with the extra Across the lower Cheat watershed that we call weight. Branches broke, whole trees came down home turf, we have finished the last of three acid and power outages and roadblocks were common mine drainage treatment projects built this year over a broad area of the Cheat and neighboring through Friends of the Cheat and funded by watersheds. WVDEP/Non-Point Source Program and Office of Surface Mining. The already completed projects My house was without power from Tuesday are performing very well, fresh and new, the neu- morning until the following Sunday evening. Sitting tralizing capacity of limestone and steel slag at full at home alone on a couple of those evenings, I force these first few months. You can read about certainly had the time and quiet to muse on the these in the AMD project updates…. power of Mother Nature. But the house was warm, I had kerosene lamps to cast a sort of glow So….are we making progress in trying to re- through a couple rooms and the dog didn’t mind at store this watershed? ….and what are we trying all. All things eventually change and the snow to restore it to? (I was recently asked this ques- melted, the utility company and workers from sur- tion by a newspaper reporter) Rest assured it will rounding states did get the power back on, the never be the same as before coal mining came to water came up in the river and by Halloween these West Virginia hills. Even if the churned up weekend, boaters were enjoying possibly a last topography of a surface mine is covered with warm weekend paddling. This was the situation early succession species or even struggling last weekend as I thought about this column….. maples and oaks, the productivity of the land is forever changed. The water under it and coming The summer months were full at the Friends of out from collapsed portals, seam outcroppings the Cheat office. Three AMD treatment projects and abandoned pit lakes is typically a lower pH were constructed. OSM VISTA Danielle Adams than pickle juice. Steep mountain streams that and OSM Summer Intern Sheila Westfall took our would have been habitat for the eastern brook water quality education to 4-H Camp and to Scout trout are too acidic to support aquatic insects and Troops. Various members of FOC staff and vol- fish and often exhibit the telltale orange precipitate unteers sampled 80 different sites on Pringle Run, of iron dropping out as the acid mine drainage Greens Run and Muddy Creek. In addition to this, mixes with fresh water and the pH rises. we pursued various grants with proposals, visited with congressional office staffers about projects in But the answer is yes, we are doing some the works, kept abreast of watershed issues and good. Far downstream in the Cheat River main commented when appropriate, all the while plan- stem the water no longer stings the eyes of swim- ning for future AMD projects and conservation mers or boaters. Fish are being caught in the work here in the Cheat Watershed. river at Jenkinsburg and downstream. An osprey ( a fish-eating bird of prey) was documented in the In this issue, you will be able to read about our Cheat Canyon this spring. Cheat Lake hosts first public AMD tour offering. More folks from out- bass fishing tournaments and is rated as the third side the watershed attended than those that live best bass fishery in the state. An increase in anglers here, but it was still a resounding success. We continued on next page

Into the Canyon - 3 - Friends of the Cheat continued from previous page traveling to the area to enjoy mountain river fishing Cheat Watershed). is being noted. With improved water quality on the river, we may see a resurgence of recreational raft- · The first category is the benefit of restora- ing and kayaking on the Cheat, bringing dollars to tion spending at local businesses. This is the cost lodging establishments, restaurants, gas stations, of treatment projects paid out for engineering, con- etc. Even more direct is the economic impact of struction, materials, etc. that provides jobs and the construction of acid mine drainage treatment have a direct impact on the local economy. systems in the watershed, now in the millions of dollars, and that number is multiplied through the · The second category is the benefit that res- local economy, affecting businesses up and down toration has on the local economy from increased the local and regional community. recreation opportunities, tourism and increased property values. The goal of restoring streams, and ultimately a whole watershed, is to revive the whole aquatic · The third category is the benefit of costs ecosystem . We speak of anyone that lives in, avoided from halting or reversing degradation. This works in, recreates in, or has interest in a water- could be lower water treatment costs, reduced shed as a stakeholder. When does a caddis fly, health care costs, less sedimentation, less flood- darter, brook trout, or beaver also become a stake- ing, etc. holder? Each relies to some extent upon the other, and all too often, its very existence depends on the A key statement worth quoting from the report is actions of people. this: “A community can transform its environmental liabilities into productive economic assets.” I think In considering restoration of watersheds and the this is one of the essential reasons we are here, resources invested and stakeholders represented, I engaged in restoration work in the Cheat Water- think of a new report published by our watershed shed. It is one of the reasons you are reading this neighbors, the Friends of Deckers Creek. It is an newsletter when it comes every three months or interesting read and I recommend anyone interested so….it is why we seek a pleasing stream or quiet to go to their website at www.deckerscreek.org and natural space in which to reflect on life. download it from the publications page. This is an analysis of local economic benefits of restoring We are unwilling to observe diverse, sensitive Deckers Creek, which runs from its headwaters in ecosystems only on the Nature Channel or National Preston County to Morgantown in Monongalia Geographic. We have tasted enough of the won- County. ders of the natural world right here in Appalachia to know that we can do better. These mountains will This makes interesting reading for those of us never be pristine in the context of the Native Ameri- that inherently know a healthy living stream with can (another vanquished stakeholder), but these good aesthetic qualities is preferable to an impaired mountains can again be a holistic habitat for living or dead stream with unsightly trash and garbage things in this millennium. It can be an environment along it. We know this, but it is difficult to translate that affords the human psyche, if not a completely that preference into values that can be applied to all natural existence, at least a haven for thoughts on stakeholders of that stream. This report does just the natural. That may yet make us a bit more hu- that. man.

Based on local surveys, comparative surveys of In so doing, we strive to justify protection and other communities and modeling software for evalu- restoration against competing values of profitable ating economic impacts, this report describes and extraction and exploitation. I hope our efforts to defines the benefits of restoring Deckers Creek into communicate that will come through in our work, three categories. (These categories would also this newsletter, our website. Toward that end we apply to an analysis of restoration of the lower will be working upstream.

Into the Canyon - 4 - Friends of the Cheat Jenkinsburg continued from page 1 dollars, often have 10-20 thousand dollars remain- ing in these accounts at the end of a fiscal year. upstream end of the Cheat Canyon came on the While not enough money to fund another major market. The parcel, running the length of Decision project, these sums could be very helpful on a job Rapid on river right, had been owned for several the size of ours. Lou Schmidt, a DEP Non-Point decades by Mountain Streams and Trails Outfitters. Source Specialist familiar with FOC, made several The company had fallen on hard times and was site visits and presented the idea to his superiors. now up for sale. This land was eventually pur- FOC submitted a proposal and after considerable chased by Dave Hough, a member of the group study they told us that the project qualified for a that bought the company’s West Virginia opera- matching grant of $15,000. There was only one tions. Later, when AWP decided to convert an old catch, these funds had to be used by end of fiscal railroad grade into a haul road, they met with Hough year, September 30, so we had to raise at least to discuss plans to reopen their right-of-way that $10,000 in private funds very quickly in order to ran through on the upper portion of his property. It have time to go through bid procedure and con- was during these discussions that Hough ex- struction. pressed his interest in purchasing the Jenkinsburg Fundraising, which American Whitewater had Takeout. After months of negotiations, AWP agreed begun soon after the land transfer, now went into to a land swap, exchanging the portion of his prop- high gear. Friends of Cheat, with its well-managed erty above their haul road for the area between the office and credit card capabilities, became the hub state road and the Cheat and Big Sandy Rivers. of the effort. Our main vehicle was an Internet cam- Hough saw that possession of the takeout was paign. Appeals were posted to whitewater club only a first step. He wanted to allow public river ac- cess, but he also wanted to put a stop to the atro- cious littering and land abuse that had become the norm. He wanted it to become an attractive place, an asset to his business and a source of pride to the community. He’d participated in Cheat Canyon Coalition meetings when possible strategies for managing Jenkinsburg were discussed, so he ap- proached Charlie Walbridge, an American Whitewater board member who is active in the Coalition, to ask for help. Walbridge, who is also on the Friends of the Cheat board, immediately dis- cussed this with their Executive Director, Keith Pitzer. Both saw an opportunity to make a win-win project. They were excited to have a landowner who was willing to join forces with them and ready to begin work. The first challenge was funding, and here the two groups quickly found a valuable partner. Since becoming FOC Director in 2001, Pitzer had man- aged several acid-mine remediation projects locally and developed a solid relationship with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He believed that our work at Jenkinsburg might qualify for EPA 319 money. This funding is provided to the states to deal with non-point source pollution like the massive erosion at the Jenkinsburg site. Upper photo: Trucks unloading gravel. Lower photo: Agencies like the DEP, which deal with huge Lower parking area after completion of work. Mulch is projects costing many hundreds of thousands of visible over newly seeded areas.

Into the Canyon - 5 - Friends of the Cheat continued from previous page websites and chat rooms, regional message boards like Local Paddler, and national forums like Boatertalk and the American Whitewater website. We also encouraged interested people to copy our message and forward it to their paddling friends. At Cheatfest, one of the largest river festivals in the country, we offered “Cheat River Access Sponsor” stickers to encourage small donations. Ten $500 donations came from whitewater pad- dling clubs and individuals; the rest of the money came in donations of $100 or less. In all, we raised $12,000 in just 30 days. Working through the West Virginia Wildwater Association, we also applied for, and received, a $1000.00 grant from the American Canoe Association’s Club-Fostered Stewardship fund. Sponsored by LL Bean, these grants are de- signed to provide quick cash for worthy river access projects. That, combined with the $2000 raised by American Whitewater, put us way over the top. Keith Pitzer (left) and Dave Hough solidify the 20 Dave Hough signed a 20-year access agreement year access agreement for private boaters at the allowing non-commercial access through his land in Jenkinsburg take out location on property owned by return for this investment. Hough. During the months of May and June a plan for the area had been developed by DEP’s Lou Schmidt, WV Conservation Agency’s Brad Durst and FOC’s drained and filled, including the deepest one where Keith Pitzer. This plan was discussed with owner a large sport utility vehicle could sink clear up to its Dave Hough and other outfitters on the Cheat at a windows! Then boulders were plucked from the site visit in June. The upper parking lot would be edge of the county road right-of-way and carried to enlarged, then ringed with large boulders to cut off the upper parking lot, forming a long lasting barrier ATV access to the rest of the property. The lower lot to vehicle access. Illegal four-wheeler trails from the would also be expanded, and the road to it straight- road below the switchback were also closed off ened out to accommodate outfitter busses and with large boulders. The road to the lower parking equipment trucks. This road would be gated, and a lot, once passable only by four-wheel drive vehicles, graded path created for river users from the upper was graded and straightened to accommodate out- lot to the river. All access beyond the upper parking fitter busses and trucks. The lower lot was ex- area, except for authorized outfitter vehicles, would panded so that several companies could load trips be on foot. At the same time, the badly eroded and simultaneously, and the path to the main takeout at trampled areas would be seeded and mulched. the mouth of the Big Sandy River was hardened to FOC advertised the project, created a bid pack- resist erosion with a special honeycomb fabric. age, and conducted an onsite bid meeting. The win- Dump trucks then added a thick coating of gravel to ning bid was submitted by Allwood Company of the lots, the road, and the trail. At the last minute Clarksburg, WV. The project was managed by AWP committed $950 to get a giant mud wallow on Friends of Cheat executive director Keith Pitzer in their property across the road graded, filled, and consultation with the outfitters, American mulched. Whitewater, and the West Virginia DEP. Now that the work is complete we want to take Construction began on August 22nd, and aided this opportunity to thank all the paddlers and organi- by a spell of dry weather took only eight days to zations who contributed to the project. There is complete. First the upper parking lot was graded to great strength in numbers, and we could never establish positive drainage. All the mudholes were have done it without all of you. Let’s all look forward to a clean access site for the next rafting season!

Into the Canyon - 6 - Friends of the Cheat Tour participants Start the (Tour) Bus ! visiting Aquafix doser by Danielle Adams, OSM VISTA at Rockville site. A settling pond lies to the right of the photo NOTE: italic words in this article are defined in to allow metals to the section entitled AMD Vocabulary Every Reader settle out before they Should Know, which is on the following page. enter a stream.

On Saturday September 17th 2005, seventeen enters a series of settling ponds. It must be moni- people enjoyed the first ever public watershed tored 365 days a year and requires strict atten- tour of the Cheat River Watershed. The tour was tion due to its high flow and the amount of sludge designed to teach about acid mine drainage generated. (AMD) formation and treatment as well as the extent of the problem in Preston County and Rockville (Permit # S-65-78) Friends of the Cheat’s role in the process. Every- This site actively treats water using an Aquafix one enjoyed themselves and learned a lot at the Treatment System. The Aquafix dispenses cal- same time. For those who did not make it to the cium oxide directly into the water using a water tour, a synopsis of the stops is below. wheel. The system is mostly self- regulating be- cause water flowing through the structure turns a Woolen Mill Road Interpretive Trail Site wheel that dispenses the correct amount of The ‘River of Promise Interpretive Trail’ was chemicals. This type of treatment uses fewer designed to show the contrast between clean chemicals and requires less monitoring than T & streams and streams that are impaired with acid T #2. mine drainage (AMD)*. At this stop we gave an overview of the tour, background information on Titchnell Property Friends of the Cheat and a basic description of This site introduced participants to passive AMD. treatment; a method that treats water without the continual addition of chemicals. This site utilizes T & T #2 an open limestone channel, a limestone leach This site introduced participants to active bed and a steel slag leach bed to passively treat treatment, a method that uses daily chemical in- three sources of acidic water entering Sovern jections to treat AMD-impaired water. At T & T Run. #2, water discharged from the mine is treated with anhydrous ammonia and peroxide before it Sovern #62 At this passive treatment site, Limestone in- Larry Harris jections, a collection pond and an open lime- with WVDEP stone channel (OLC) are used to treat the water shows the before discharging it into Sovern Run. extent of underground We would like to thank Panera for donating mining at T&T during the breakfast food, and to the Buckwheat Express watershed for providing affordable transportation. If you are tour. interested in scheduling a group watershed tour please contact [email protected].

Into the Canyon - 7 - Friends of the Cheat AMD Vocabulary Every Reader Monitoring and Mapping Should Know Project Update by Danielle Adams, OSM VISTA by Danielle Adams, OSM VISTA

On the positive side, we managed to make it through Have you ever felt confused and frustrated when read- the whole summer without poison ivy, heat stroke, broken ing articles about Acid Mine Drainage due to the technical bones or any emergency room visits. On the negative language? Well fear no longer! This trusty vocabulary list side, there were a few days this summer where we would is designed with simple definitions to keep you in the have given up our first born for a ‘Friends of the Cheat’ know. Feel free to use it as reference for this newsletter machete. Tromping through brush and tall grass in the and future ones to come! heat of summer can do that to a person. Despite the obstacles, we survived - and now we · Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): when rocks containing have the data to prove it. We have field sheets, lab pyrite are exposed to air and water the resulting water is sheets, spread-sheets (pretty much any ‘sheet’ you can often characterized by low pH, high metal content and imagine) all documenting the 80 sites we sampled this 1 high acidity. This is known as Acid Mine Drainage. summer. At each site on Muddy Creek, Pringle Run and · AMD Seep: Impaired water that trickles out of the Green’s Run, we collected pH (graph below), conductivity, 2 ground at a given point or in a given area. dissolved oxygen, temperature and flow measurements. · Portal: An opening in the ground where a mine was We also collected water samples and had them analyzed previously accessed. for acidity, alkalinity, aluminum, calcium, iron, magne- · Active Treatment: A method that uses daily chemi- sium, manganese and sulfate. cal injections to treat acidic water. It uses alkaline chemi- And this is only the beginning! We will be sampling 1 cals to neutralize the acidity in AMD polluted water. Morgan Run, Lick Run, Heather Run, and Bull Run next · Aquafix Treatment System: A self regulating ma- summer, and Beaver Creek and Buffalo Run in the sum- chine that deposits calcium oxide (pebble quicklime) di- mer of 2007. Once completed, we will have a comprehen- rectly into a polluted stream for treatment. (The alkalinity sive idea of the area water quality and we will be able to 1 of calcium oxide neutralizes the acidity of AMD). better assess where to place treatment projects. This will · Passive Treatment: A method that treats water with- mean cleaner water in the tributaries of the Cheat, and out the continual addition of chemicals. This method usu- thus in the Cheat River itself. ally uses limestone rocks or steel slag to neutralize the The chart below will give you a sneak peek at the 1 acidity of AMD waters. current water quality. Keep in mind that a neutral pH is 7. · Limestone: A rock used to treat AMD because of its As you can see, the majority of our water has a pH below alkaline properties. 7, which is a result of the acidity caused by acid mine · Steel slag: A by-product of the steel making process drainage pollution. Our future treatment projects would that is used to treat AMD because of its alkaline proper- raise the pH to neutralize the acidity, thus making many ties. of the streams a more hospitable environment. Stay tuned · Limestone injection: Injecting small gravel-sized for more exciting project updates in the future! pieces of limestone directly into a borehole or portal for treatment. · Open Limestone Channel (OLC): “An open, free pH Values for 2005 Sampling flowing channel lined with coarse limestone.”1 40 · Limestone leach bed / Steel slag leach Bed: A 35 collection area lined with limestone (or steel slag) that allows water to pass through. 30 25 pH 2 - 3 SOURCES 20 pH 4 - 5 1 Skousen, Jeff and Paul F. Ziemkiewicz. Acid Mine Drainage Control & Treatment. West Virginia University 15 pH 6 - 7 Number of Sites and the National Mine Land Reclamation Center. 10 Morgantown, WV. 1995. 2http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/landrec/passtrt/ 5 passtrt.htm 0 pH 2 - 3 pH 4 - 5 pH 6 - 7 pH Values

Into the Canyon - 8 - Friends of the Cheat year. After his presentation, all the students enjoyed shar- The Fourth Year Is the Charm ! ing their fishing stories about the ‘one that got away’ (and by Danielle Adams, OSM VISTA yes, the fish got bigger each time they told the story). Bill was invited back to help with a fishing trip in the spring. Our second presenter, the person instrumental in getting the water festival started, was Karen Toothman. Karen and Becky Friend, represented the Master Garden- ers and Master Naturalists, and led an activity called “Where are the Frogs” from the Project WET Curriculum guide. During this activity, students tested the pH of local waters to learn how acidic water has endangered the qual- ity of aquatic life in Preston County. The activity specifi- cally emphasized how frogs and other aquatic life can be an important indicator of stream health. Another dedicated volunteer, Kelly Pack, came all the way from the West Virginia University Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources Graduate Department. Students measuring dissolved oxygen in water Kelly led and activity called “Cookie Mining” where stu- samples during the Water Festival at Aurora School. dents learned about mining by excavating chocolate chips from a cookie. They used toothpicks and paper clips to On the morning of Friday October 21st, there was a ‘mine’ their ‘land’, and paid reclamation costs for any thunderstorm in the Aurora School gymnasium! Rain, and crumbs that went astray. Overall, the students enjoyed the thunder roared through the walls as seventy-five students activity and learned about mining. For the students, the in grades 3-6 worked together to create the storm. Stu- best part was that they got to eat their ‘land’ at the end! dents rubbed their hands to signify drizzle, snapped their Tara Miller, another volunteer from WVU, used a fingers to signify rain, clapped their hands for heavy rain, Groundwater Flow Model to teach students how ground- and stomped their feet to represent thunder. After the water can become polluted. The model was loaned by ‘storm’ was in full-force, the students then reversed the Rose Long of the West Virginia Department of Environ- motions, and the storm moved into the distance. This fun mental Protection. It had layers of sand, clay, coal, and activity was a great introduction to the fourth annual water rock that showed students what it might look like under- festival! ground. There were wells drilled into these various layers The ‘Water Festival’ began four years ago, in 2002, that gave students an opportunity to see how water is with Friends of the Cheat’s AmeriCorps OSM/VISTA, Sally pulled from the ground. The most intriguing part of the Wilts. Sally worked with teacher Karen Toothman to orga- model, however, was dye that was used to demonstrate nize an in-school field trip, where students could partici- how pollution moves through the ground and into wells. It pate in water-related educational activities throughout the gave students a clear idea of the importance of groundwa- day. The first festival was a success and thus continued in ter protection. 2003 with Sally Wilts and in 2004 and 2005 with OSM/ The final presenter was Ben Mack, of Friends of the VISTA Danielle Adams. The Aurora Festival was held in Cheat, who taught students about Dissolved Oxygen. He conjunction with Project WET - Water Education for spoke about how the oxygen in the water is important to Teachers. Project WET is a national program working to fish and then allowed students to test the dissolved oxy- educate young people about water in a creative, interac- gen in samples of surrounding stream water. Students tive way. Nestle, a major sponsor of Project WET, pro- were able to see how watershed groups across the nation vided educational booklets and water for participants. test for oxygen in water, and were able to see the fun side This year, the water festival was filled with exciting to science! new activities and enthusiastic presenters from local orga- With the festival activities over, we would like to take nizations. Our first presenter was Bill Thorne of Trout Un- this opportunity to thank all of the presenters for their hard limited, who led a very popular fly-fishing activity. He work and dedication. We would also like to thank Aurora taught students about why people fish, where people fish School for recruiting parent volunteers, offering lunch, lend- and fishing safety. He then spoke about what to use for ing technical equipment, and for being so enthusiastic bait, emphasizing how bait mimics the macro-inverte- about the festival. We would especially like to thank Linda brates (bottom dwelling bugs) and minnows that live in the Martin, the coordinating teacher at Aurora School for help- stream. This allowed students to make a connection be- ing with scheduling and room assignments. We truly ap- tween the biological health of a stream, and recreation preciate the help of all of our volunteers because without activities. It also drew upon the macroinvertebrate stream them, the festival would not be possible. We look forward sampling activity that the students participated in last to seeing you all next year!

Into the Canyon - 9 - Friends of the Cheat Acid Mine Drainage Treatment was done by National Mine Land Reclamation Center (NMLRC) at WVU. NMLRC’s Brady Projects Updates Gutta, WVDEP’s Non-Point Source Basin Coor- by Keith Pitzer dinator Lou Schmidt, and FOC Director Keith Pitzer made up the project management team. This fall marks the completion of four projects The first project was completed last fall. It funded last year through WVDEP’s Non-Point is on the Charles Pase property north of Source program and Office of Surface Mining’s Tunnelton on a fork of Pringle Run. Water comes Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program. from two collapsed portals from one of the old The former comes from USEPA 319 funds (sec- Jessup mines, then crosses route 26 and goes tion 319 of the Cleat Water Act) while the latter down through timberland owned by Allegheny comes indirectly from the coal severance tax Wood Products and into Pringle Run. This site through the Surface Mining Control and Recla- was limited in space on which to construct pas- mation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). This is the pro- sive treatment structures and so an innovative gram we have frequently written about as it lives technique was used incorporating a small verti- now on extensions and is in need of re-authoriza- cal flow pond into an anoxic limestone drain and tion by Congress. small settling basin was used. Adjustments con- The contractor for all four projects was tinue to be made on the material used in the ver- Bolyard & Son, Inc. of Kingwood. Engineering tical flow pond, but acidity is being substantially was split between Triad Engineering and reduced. Potesta & Associates. Conceptual design work The next project was Sovern Run on the

Into the Canyon - 10 - Friends of the Cheat Dennis Clark property. This site, at the headwa- Cheat Lake. The Muddy Creek project should ters of Sovern Run, was part of a WVDEP/AML enhance the downstream fishery there. We are project completed in 2001, but it did not include a planning a set of projects on the Dream Moun- water treatment component. This project con- tain site along Woolen Mill Rd. downstream and sisted of an open limestone channel (OLC) and hopefully will extend the fishable portion of two small steel slag check dams. Steel slag is a Muddy Creek to Martin Creek. highly alkaline byproduct of the steel industry. The combination of funding sources, our The initial result of this project is net alkaline wa- project management team and willing landown- ter. (see map) ers made these projects successful in several Downstream from the Clark site is the ways. We now have an approach to projects Titchnell family property site. This is a large site that can be replicated again and again and im- feeding another fork of Sovern Run and is a large prove the quality of our streams and communi- reclaimed surface mined area with a highly acidic portal discharge. A large limestone leach bed at the portal discharge followed by a long OLC and enhanced by fresh water treated with a steel slag structure makes up the project. Initial results here are also net alkaline water. (see map) The final project of the season was on upper Muddy Creek. This site is on properties of land- owners John Vincent, Bobby Dunn and Dr. Larry Schwab. Drainage from four distinct points of discharge ran down a steep wooded hillside to Muddy Creek upstream of the Brandonville Pike. This site resulted from successive old mining op- erations that left mostly unconsolidated material in which to construct leach beds. Water seeking paths of less resistance would pop out downhill during construction. Contractor Bill Bolyard proved to be patient and resourceful as the plans were adapted again and again. In the end, the project is catching 90% of the water discharged from this area. Considering that downstream from here, Muddy Creek is fit for trout stocking, this project will increase alka- linity and enhance the fishery there. To review, the Pringle Run project marked our first on this uppermost acid tributary of the Cheat mainstem. Our monitoring/mapping project is supporting our intentions to continue Open limestone channel on Upper Muddy Creek project, siting projects on Pringle . The two projects on demonstrating the minimal disturbance required in Sovern Run should make a large increase in al- placing these treatment structures. The landowners kalinity in this stream that flows into Big Sandy at requested that as many trees as possible be left Rockville. This should enhance the lower Big undisturbed. Sandy fishery and lower Cheat River above

Into the Canyon - 11 - Friends of the Cheat Preston Rail-Trails Progress $250 to $500 Pam Schwer Juddson Lindley

$50 to $100 Gene and Yvonne Harlow Edna Hollandsworth Kingwood Lion’s Club Edna Machamer Greg Messenger Don Millard Mark Schooley Patty Snow Dave Toothman In 2004, FOC secured an $80,000 dollar Bill Ward grant from the Department of Transportation’s Gary Williams Recreational Trails Grant program for the ac- quisition of a 10 mile stretch of rail corridor that Under $50 connects the towns of Kingwood and Tunnelton. Stephen Dorick This is the former WV Northern rail line. This Bob & Carol Friend grant is matched by a $20,000 grant from the Susan Groseclose West Virginia State Department of Tourism, Lillian Kotchek thanks to State Delegate Larry Williams. Garth Lindley Preparations are currently underway to get the Ben McKean corridor appraised and to have the rail-trail Frank Mucciarone open for public use by fall 2006. Greg Naylor We are continuing to communicate with Tracy & Linda Reagan CSX Corporation regarding the abandoned rail Marilyn Snyder line that runs between Albright and Rowlesburg Bob Thompson along the Cheat River. We plan to submit a Micheal Workman Transportation Enhancement grant in Novem- ber for acquisition of at least part of this corri- dor. We are still seeking involvement and sup- port for making rail-trails a reality for Preston County. See the membership and donation form on page 15 if you’d like to donate, check our website at www.cheat.org or email us at [email protected]. This is the list of rail-trail do- nors to date:

$1000 or more Janet and Imre Szilagyi Mon River Trails Conservancy View of the Cheat River from the CSX rail line Cheatfest 5K race c

Into the Canyon - 12 - Friends of the Cheat Big Sandy in April, 2003 rivers and paddlers ev- Rockville Access Purchased erywhere lost a friend. The acquisition of this land by Charlie Walbridge gives those who of us who knew and loved him an Rockville, West Virginia is the site of an old opportunity to honor him. We can create a facility logging town best known today for providing ac- to help people like him enjoy the river. In addition cess to the beautiful Big Sandy River. Most of the to boating access the parking will serve those who riverside land owned by Allegheny Energy passed wish to hike the old railroad grade to Wonder to Allegheny Wood Products in the big Cheat Can- Falls, Big Splat Rapid, and beyond. yon sale several years ago. Since then we’ve Friends of Cheat has created the Jeff been worried that AWP might try to block access Mayfield Fund to raise money to buy and improve to the river. the access. We propose to call it the Jeff Mayfield But they didn’t get all the land! Last winter, River Access. Out plan is to grade the parking while doing research in the Preston County Court- area, remove a troublesome boulder, and apply house, Sandy Walbridge found a third-of-an-acre gravel. A small kiosk will tell people about Jeff and parcel that was still owned by Allegheny Energy. the river that lies upstream and downstream from The land is located on the upstream, river right here. Any additional funds will be earmarked for side of the bridge where paddlers and hikers have maintaining this facility and the recently refur- parked for years. Friends of Cheat executive di- bished Jenkinsburg Access five miles down- rector Keith Pitzer contacted the company. They stream. didn’t know they still owned it. After some negotia- To donate you can send a check to Friends tion the parcel was purchased for public use. A of the Cheat, 119 South Price St. #206, Kingwood generous $500 donation paid part of the acquisi- WV 26537 or call the office at 304-329-3621. We tion costs, but to fully fund the purchase and make accept both Mastercard and Visa. Friends of it attractive we need to raise an additional $2500. Cheat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and your donations Jeff Mayfield was an expert kayaker who are tax deductible. Donors will be recognized on loved to kayak the streams in the Cheat River or website: www.Cheat.org when the project is drainage. When he lost his life paddling the Lower completed.

Into the Canyon - 13 - Friends of the Cheat To FOC, and Beyond..... FOC Updates by Ben Mack Late Breaking News Ah, the retrospective…a woefully underused On November 10th, just as the newsletter (not!) form of writing that allows us the benefit of went to the printer, we were notified that recounting our pasts to others. This seems like a Friends of the Cheat had been awarded an good time for me to take advantage of this form of $835,000 grant to oversee the restoration of writing to let you all know that I will be leaving Muddy Creek. Friends of the Cheat this December to pursue a The US Environmental Protection Agency an- master’s degree in Soil Science (focusing on nounced that FOC is one of 12 grant recipients of mine reclamation). On with the reminiscing… the Targeted Watershed Initiative nationwide. This a program to which encourages community-based I joined FOC in the fall of 2003, and the time approaches to restore the nation’s watersheds by has just flown by. Here we are, in the fall/winter of promoting strong public/private partnerships that 2005 and I am looking back and wondering what I lead to measurable environmental results. have accomplished. Have I really made a differ- The grant extends over three years and will be ence in my time here at FOC? I’d like to think so, supplemented with funding from other agency but let’s take a look at what I have been involved sources. The grant, which will be awarded early in with for the past two years, and I’ll leave it up to 2006, will support treatment technologies to treat you to decide. acid mine drainage. Muddy Creek is the greatest contributor of acid I first came to FOC as an OSM/Americorps mine drainage to the Cheat River. The National VISTA, and the first project that I worked on (and Mine Land Reclamation Center will be assisting one that is still in progress) is the Cheat River with conceptual design of the treatment projects. Monitoring and Mapping Project (CRMMP). You Funds will also support stream monitoring, have all heard a great deal about this project public education and citizen involvement projects through the last few newsletters, and it is proceed- in planning further restoration activity within the ing very well. It has already helped us to use our lower Cheat River basin. See our website for project funding more efficiently and also to priori- more information. tize possible project sites. This project has also allowed FOC to gather all the water quality data More Awards! for the Cheat River in one place. In September the WV Watershed Network gave us the 2005 Recreation Award for our work Other projects I have helped with include: on Preston Rail-Trails and for our cooperative Adopt-A-Highway cleanups, stream cleanups, the project at Jenkinsburg, which will allow private annual Cheat River Festival, the volunteer stream boaters access to this important takeout point. monitoring program, and any other work that We also maintain a put in for boaters at our festi- landed on my desk. val site at the head of the Cheat Canyon. The Monongahela Conservation District However, this unpredictability is what makes chose us for the Outstanding Watershed Group nonprofit work exciting, as no day is ever the Award for protection of watersheds. Brad Durst, same as the one before it! So, I say to all of you Environmental Specialist with the WV Conserva- loyal Friends of the Cheat, thank you for all the tion Agency, helped with the Jenkinsburg Project good times, and don’t be surprised if you see me by quantifying the amount of erosion (run-off of at Cheatfest 2006! soil) from the site and advising us on materials and design of the project.

Into the Canyon - 14 - Friends of the Cheat Why Get Involved with the Friends of the Cheat?

From its headwaters in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, the Cheat River flows 157 miles to the state line. In its lower 20 miles the river has been so severely polluted by acid mine drainage that it is effectively dead. Most of this damage is caused by underground and surface coal mines that were abandoned decades ago. The continuing legacy of this pollution has been the loss of fish and wildlife, aesthetic damage, degraded drinking water, and losses to the local ecomomy from diminished recreation activities such as fishing and boating. Our objective is to foster cooperative efforts by federal and state agencies, private industry, and local landowners to address the severe acid mine drainage problems that paint the Cheat Canyon or- ange and render it ecologically sterile. We need your support to create a new legacy for the Cheat River. Our membership includes fishermen, paddlers, guides and outfitters; land owners and renters; politicians and activists; geologists and biologists; small businesses and large industries; residents and folks from many states away. We are a diverse group with a common goal. Ours is a vision of a healthy river that provides multiple recreational opportunities and sustains viable local economies. Help us make that vision a reality. Remember...Rivers carry the lifeblood of the planet... but they should not run red. Restore water quality on the Cheat! Consider making a planned gift to Friends of the Cheat in your estate planning. Making us a beneficiary of a retirement plan, insurance policy or as a bequest can provide you or someone you designate with favorable financial or tax benefits. Become a member by completing the form below or by visiting our website at www.cheat.org.

Yes, I Want to Be a Friend of the Cheat! Membership and Donation Form All donations are tax-deductible Membership includes our quarterly newsletter Into the Canyon

Basic Membership Supporting Contributors ___ Individual/family $20 ___ Stream Steward $100-$249 includes ball cap ___ Non-profit Organization $50 with FOC logo and choice of video ___ Business $100 ___ Watershed Watch $250 or more includes Tshirt & choice of video

Contribution for Preston Rail-Trail Committee ______(make check out to Friends of the Cheat)

T-shirt - $15 ($10 with $50 or more donation) Size __Medium __ Large __ XLarge __ XXLarge Choose ___Cheat Map Shirt or ___ Cheatfest shirt Cap – Low Profile Twill Cap with FOC logo. Camel, khaki, putty $15.00 ______Tote bag Roomy organic cotton (natural color) tote with FOC logo $15.00 ____

Total amount enclosed: $______Payable to: Friends of the Cheat 119 S. Price Street, Suite 206 Kingwood, WV 26537 Name ______

Address ______

City, State, Zip ______

Email ______

Into the Canyon - 15 - Friends of the Cheat PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 35 BRUCETON MILLS, WV 26525

Friends of the Cheat 119 S.Price Street Kingwood, WV 26537

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The Jenkinsburg or Bull Run Bridge across the Cheat River, a popular takeout for paddlers in the Cheat Canyon. See our lead story to read about dramatic improvements at this site.