CLEAR November 2015

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Charleston Gazette-Mail | W.Va.’s trout outlook has changed, retired biologist says
by Duane 15 Nov '15

15 Nov '15

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151114/GZ07/151119712/1118 W.Va.’s trout outlook has changed, retired biologist says From the Charleston Gazette Mail, November 14, 2015 ELKINS — Every fish and wildlife agency has its unsung heroes. One of those, Tom Oldham, retired on October 28th. Oldham, a fisheries biologist, spent more than 39 years’ working in the Division of Natural Resources’ trout program. A lot of his work took place along tiny blue lines on the map, well away from towns, roads and the public’s eye. When a remote headwater stream needed to have its water quality tested, chances are Oldham made the measurements and recorded the results. When all of the Monongahela National Forest’s streams had their fish populations surveyed, Oldham spent countless hours with an electrofishing pack strapped to his back. When other DNR biologists needed help with a fisheries project, Oldham was happy to lend a hand, even if the project didn’t involve trout. Thorough. Meticulous. Professional. A biologist’s biologist. Those are some of the descriptions Oldham’s colleagues used to describe him. It should come as no surprise, then, that Oldham noted a few significant changes take place in the state’s trout program during his four decades’ of service. “When I started with the agency, there were a lot of water-quality issues. We had a lot of issues with acid rain, mine drainage and other forms of water pollution,” Oldham said. “Over the years a lot of those problems have been resolved. Now that the water is in better shape, we can now concentrate on improving the habitat in our trout streams.” He credited former DNR biologist Pete Zurbuch for handling some of the water-quality problems. It was Zurbuch who pioneered the use of finely ground limestone to counteract the effects of acid pollution. Today, literally hundreds of miles of streams benefit from annual applications of limestone sand. “Through Mr. Zurbuch’s and others’ efforts, there’s been a lot of improvement. A lot of [barren] fisheries have been restored. There are a lot of places we can put fish now that we couldn’t before,” Oldham added. He pointed out that almost the entire Cheat River system, which once suffered from acid pollution, has benefited from the DNR’s introduction of limestone sand to the river’s headwater tributaries. Sweetening the tributaries has had the unexpected benefit of sweetening the main river all the way downstream to Cheat Lake. Fishing is better today than it has been since the 1960s. The changes Oldham has seen haven’t all been for the better. When he went to work for the DNR in the 1970s, most of the agency’s trout hatcheries were in good shape. That, he said, is simply not the case today. “We neglected our hatcheries for too long, and now we’re having problems,” he said. “One hatchery that was new in the early years of my career, the Tate Lohr Hatchery, has a spring box that leaks. They’re having trouble keeping enough water [in the facility] to raise trout.” Several other hatcheries are plagued with plumbing leaks, some severe enough to have generated sizable underground voids. Aging vehicles and antiquated equipment can be found just about everywhere in the seven-hatchery system. “We probably maxed out our [fish-producing] capacity 15 to 20 years ago,” Oldham said. “We can’t produce more trout, and at the same time we still have fishermen wanting lots of fish.” A complicating factor, he added, is that West Virginia’s complex state-government purchasing practices make it difficult to make repairs in a timely manner. “There are a lot of impediments to getting things done,” he said. “The idea of making things transparent has actually muddied the issue. The system is overzealous about making sure everyone can bid and making sure everyone can see what’s going on. As a result, things aren’t working as well as they could or should.” But those aren’t Oldham’s problems now. In retirement, he’ll concern himself mainly with spending more time with his wife and kids, and trying to decide where he next wants to go fishing. Looking back, he says he gets “a great deal of satisfaction” knowing that the work he did for the DNR, however unsung, helped to make West Virginia a better place to catch fish.

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The Flood of 1985 remembered - Mountain Messenger | Lewisburg, WV
by Duane 09 Nov '15

09 Nov '15

http://mountainmessenger.com/flood-1985-remembered/ The Flood of 1985 remembered By Sarah Mansheim, with Cheryl Griffith, Mountain Messenger reporter, 1985 It caught almost everyone by surprise. On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 1985, residents in the low-lying areas of Greenbrier County were flooded out of their homes and businesses. Buildings were lifted from their foundations, trailers and livestock floated down the river, and cars were turned on their roofs. When the waters crested, mud and debris filled houses and businesses, and Ronceverte’s Island Park was virtually destroyed. According to an article in the Nov. 10, 1985 edition of the Mountain Messenger, no lives were lost in Ronceverte, but devastating losses to homes and businesses occurred in the Monroe Avenue and River Oaks areas. The Ronceverte substation of West Virginia Power was destroyed, leaving all of Ronceverte and some Lewisburg and Caldwell residents without power for two days. Caldwell residents were evacuated from areas around Rt. 60 as the swollen Greenbrier backed its way into Howards Creek. In Alderson, streets were blocked by water, including parts of Rt. 3, 12 and 63. Alderson resident Red Nickell, an owner of a grocery store destroyed by the flood, told the Mountain Messenger that the flood took him by such surprise that when he’d left the store, he’d merely moved some stock items to the store’s top shelves and left change in the cash register. He maintained his sense of humor, telling the newspaper, “I do not know if I’ll go back into business. Right at the moment my store is for sale. Quite a few people have wanted to buy it in the past. Now, here’s their chance. It’s real cheap,” he quipped. “If you bring a shovel, you can get a lot of groceries.” Alderson Elementary School, which had just opened that fall, was also damaged in the flood, as over two feet of muddy, oily water washed through its interior. The buildings that housed the kindergarten classes were destroyed. Meanwhile, the community rallied as the Greenbrier County Landfill remained open throughout the weekend to accept flood damaged furniture, clothing, appliances and other debris, and water, food and clothing distribution centers popped up around the county to help flood victims. Some 250 National Guardsmen came to Greenbrier County to assist with cleanup and safety issues. Thursday, Nov. 5 marks the 30-year anniversary of the 1985 flood. Ronceverte resident, historian and grant writer Doug Hylton shared some photographs of downtown Ronceverte during this historic event.

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WV MetroNews – 1985 Flood still haunts those who saw it
by Duane 04 Nov '15

04 Nov '15

http://wvmetronews.com/2015/11/03/1985-flood-still-haunts-those-who-saw-it/ 1985 Flood still haunts those who saw it By Chris Lawrence, WV MetroNews, November 3, 2015 KINGWOOD, W.Va. — November 5, 1985 will forever be remembered as a dark day in the history of West Virginia. The remnants of Hurricane Juan passed through Louisiana and headed north toward the Canadian border. The strength of the storm spawned a separate rain system over the mid-Atlantic.The system parked over Virginia and West Virginia and dumped heavy rain in a brief span of time on much of the region causing widespread flooding. The entire mid-Atlantic region saw flooding, but Virginia and West Virginia endured the worst of the high water. Waterway throughout the Potomac, Cheat, and Monongahela watersheds overflowed their banks. The high water marks were breached at every USGS gauge on every river. The region endured the 100 year flood in a matter of hours. Jim Fields was the chief Deputy of the Preston County Sheriff’s Department at the time and recalled being awakened early in the morning. “About three or four o’clock in the morning and I heard the scanner. I decided to get up and see what all the racket was about,” said Fields, who is now retired. “I got up and listened for a few minutes and it sounded like it was getting to be a mess.” He was quickly out the door and trying to get a handle on the situation. He knew communities along the Cheat River would be the first ones affected, but by then the water was over the roads and too high to get to any of those locations. He contacted a friend who owned a helicopter and they were airborne by the first light of the morning. “We flew from Cheat Lake to the end of Parsons just kind of surveying and trying to get a handle on what was going on,” Fields recalled. “I talked to the sheriff and we both kind of figured we were going to be stuck with bodies everywhere.” Fields saw hundreds of homes floating in the water and knew many of those who lived in the homes had probably been asleep as the water rose. “This was at night and of course we didn’t have the National Weather Service doing the things back then they do now,” he said. “They weren’t capable of predicting like they can now and we didn’t have all of those early warnings.” As it turned out, amazingly, only two residents of Preston County died in the flood. Fields said both victims refused to leave their homes as the waters rose and the local fire departments tried to evacuate them. “The gentleman in the country club area he was found in a couple of days, but the lady who lived in a trailer down in Albright, she was found a couple of weeks later down at the head of Cheat Lake,” said Fields. As news of the disaster spread it became evident the damage and the devastation was spread over a wide area. George Manahan covered the statehouse for MetroNews at the time and was embedded with Gov. Arch Moore who headed toward the flood zone in a helicopter. “Our first stop was Parsons and when you’re looking at it from the air it was as if it was a battleground,” he recalled. “The roadway, I think Route 72, looked like somebody had sliced it with a large knife.” On the ground Manahan said it was even worse than how it appeared from the air. “There was mud everywhere. Cars were upside down. Buildings were off their foundations. To me it looked like a war zone,” he remembered. From one town after another, Gov. Moore was comforting thousands and mustering aid in difficult circumstances. “Moorefield, Petersburg, Philippi, Albright, Marlinton, Parsons, that’s a whole region,” he said. Rowlesburg in Preston County was one of the hardest hit and was literally cut off from the outside world. Fields recalled arriving there and seeing Mayor Margaret Scholar organizing relief efforts and neighbors pulling together. It was the same in all communities. “People did, they just teamed up and helped each other,” said Fields. “The National Guard came in. There was training going on at Camp Dawson and those people came out with their helicopters and rescued a couple of people off an island above Rowlesburg who had spent the night in a tree.” “When I dropped in with the governor, you would see these dazed looks,” said Manahan. “The governor talked about it to, this dazed look in people’s eyes like they’d never experienced anything like it before.” It would be months before things were back to semi-normal and years before the damage was fully cleaned up. Even today, if you know what to look for, there are still signs of what happened on that night 30 years ago. The toll of the flood washed away thousands of trees, rerouted river channels, destroyed or damaged 13,000 homes and businesses and left 38 people dead in West Virginia. The total cost of the West Virginia flood was around $700 million, one of the costliest disasters in state history. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Spotlight on Cheat Lake, West Virginia
by Duane 03 Nov '15

03 Nov '15

http://www.lakelubbers.com/cheat-lake-676/ Cheat Lake, West Virginia, USA Monongalia County, WV Minimum Elevation is 857 feet above sea level, very rarely useful in practice. Normal summer recreational pool height is 868 to 870, i. e. a two foot variation. Surface Area: 1,730 acres Shoreline Length: 30 miles Normal Elevation: 868 feet Minimum Elevation: 857 feet Maximum Elevation: 870 feet Water Volume: 72,300 acre-feet Completion Year: 1925 Cheat Lake Photo Gallery A dam built across the Cheat River in 1925 created the scenic reservoir of Cheat Lake. Originally called Lake Lynn, the dam sits nearly at the border between West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Located in West Virginia's Mountaineer Country region, the reservoir meanders amid scenic green mountains and beneath canyon walls. Built for hydroelectric power generation, Lake Lynn was renamed Cheat Lake in 1976, but the power generation project still retains the Lake Lynn designation. Located only about ten miles east of Morgantown, WV, Cheat Lake is gaining in popularity both as a recreational resource and as a bedroom community. A number of large homes enjoy secluded views from the cliffs overlooking the lake. As a colonial surveyor, George Washington envisioned using the Cheat River as a transportation system. It wasn't until 1910 that work began on the Lake Lynn Dam, and obstacles created by World War I delayed the project until 1925. The Lake Lynn Project was dedicated in 1927 with the placement of a bronze plaque proclaiming the lake and power generation as dedicated to the public 'in lasting beauty for recreation and the supplying of essential service'. At one time, cottages could be rented by employees of the long-defunct railway that ran along the eastern bank of the lake. Now, the lake boasts three marinas, a golf and spa resort, a number of trails and one at-your-own-risk swimming beach at Cheat Lake Park. The community of Cheat Lake along the eastern shoreline offers food, supplies and services to residents and visitors. Much of the main part of the lake is popular with pleasure boaters and water sports enthusiasts: water skiing, tubing, windsurfing and wakeboarding. Several quiet backwater embayments are particularly popular with those who enjoy canoes, kayaks and pontoon boats. Little Cheat Lake Park along the eastern shoreline is well-positioned for those who enjoy quiet waters and a wealth of wildlife. Located in a no-wake portion of the lake, the 4.5-mile Cheat Lake Trail bisects the park with an unpaved trail along the old former railway and its causeways across two embayments. A playground, rest rooms, and the swim beach separate several somewhat secluded picnic areas with picnic tables and grills. The name, Mill Stone Beach, derives from old millstones scattered around the area, remnants of old grist mills once common along the river. The parking area on Morgan's Run Road is a distance from the lakefront, so some walking is required. A driveway down to the lake allows for handicapped access, but the parking isn't very close to the shoreline. Currently, no camping is available. Fishing is a favored sport at Cheat Lake. In years past, acid mine runoff killed fish and endangered water quality. Several years of concentrated efforts by such groups as Cheat Lake Environment and Recreation Association (CLEAR) and the Cheat Lake Advisory Council have monitored water quality and worked to improve recreational opportunities at the reservoir. They have succeeded to the point that Cheat Lake is one of the better lakes in the region for largemouth bass fishing and the location of regular bass tournaments. Channel catfish, crappies, sunfish and walleye round out the angling selection. A fishing dock at Cheat Lake Park allows even the littlest anglers to try their luck. A boat ramp lets visitors launch small hand-carried boats. Larger craft will need to use the commercial marinas where they will find boat gas, boat rentals, snacks, supplies, restaurant, fishing equipment and rental slips available. The area near Cheat Lake is a trail-lover's dream. The Cheat Lake Trail intersects the Cheat Haven Trail. Plans are in the works to expand the trail into Pennsylvania to connect with the Mon River trail that becomes the Caperton Trail along the riverfront in Morgantown. Just upstream (south) from Cheat Lake, Cooper's Rock State Forest holds over 20 trails suitable for hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Many of the trails skirt the bluffs of Cheat River Gorge and offer excellent overlooks among the trees. In June, the trails are ablaze with azalea and rhododendron. Deer, fox, owls, songbirds, squirrels and other forest denizens can often be seen. Coopers Rock State Forest offers the closest campground to Cheat Lake, a 25-site campground with electricity, hot showers, water and even wifi to registered campers. Several small streams cross the state forest, and a small six-acre impoundment is stocked with trout for fishing. Farther upstream, some of the East Coast's best whitewater rafting can be found in the Cheat River Gorge. Cheat Lake has been under the management of several hydroelectric companies, beginning with Allegheny Energy, First Energy and most recently Harbor Hydro Holdings LLC. Rapidly multiplying environmental restrictions have caused many smaller hydroelectric projects to close in recent years, and the Lake Lynn Power Station is not large. However, Harbor Hydro recently invested in several improvements at the dam to solve a years-old problem of debris clogging the dam outflows and causing flooding. Apparently Harbor Holdings has every intention to keep Lake Lynn Power Station in operation for the foreseeable future. Lodgings in the area are provided by the golf resort, campgrounds and RV resorts nearby, and a few private home rentals. The entire area along the river is a popular vacation destination, so there are guest cottages and campgrounds not far away. Morgantown, home of West Virginia University, is located only ten miles west. The city provides hotels, guest cottages and bed & breakfasts, along with multiple restaurants, entertainment venues and shopping. If your idea of an ideal vacation includes water sports, fishing, great scenic vistas and quiet wooded trails, then Cheat Lake is the perfect spot to spend your time. Toss the kayak on the rood-top carrier, pack the tent or RV, and head over to Cheat Lake to enjoy a scenic vacations in the West Virginia mountains.

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Cheat Lake Level now down
by Duane 03 Nov '15

03 Nov '15

Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535.

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CLEAR November 2015