CLEAR Report to UMRA, November 2, 2019
Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association to the Upper Monongahela River Association
1. Ownership of Lake Lynn Generationand Cheat Lake -- It was announced on October 8th that Ontario PowerGeneration (OPG) has finalized the acquisition of Cube Hydro Partners and HelixPartners, collectively known as Cube Hydro, an owner and operator of small andmedium hydropower facilities, from Squared Capital. Now Cube Hydro and Eagle Creek will representthe United States hydro platform of OPG. Note: Cheat Lake and the LakeLynn Dam are operated as Lake Lynn Generation, the second largest of the eightprojects of Cube Hydro. 2. Lake Lynn Relicensing -- On October 25th thenotice was published in the Dominion Post, namely “Intent to File LicenseApplication, Filing of Pre-Application Document, and Approving Use of theTraditional Licensing Process” by Lake Lynn Generation. A public information meeting is required byFERC and has been set for 10 am on December 12th at the Cheat LakeFire Hall. CLEAR believes that the Damowner should provide an on-site recreation office to promote and managerecreation on Cheat Lake. The practiceover the years has been for recreation planning, management and trouble shootingprovided by off-site personnel. Licensing can be for 30 to 50 years. 3. Drought incident -- In late September and early October, a drought condition prevailed overthe Cheat River watershed such that the river flowrate was insufficient tomaintain the Lake level above 868 ft above sea level. Warnings were sent to theMarinas and the public that low levels could affect dock and boat removalsprior to October 31st, the end of the normal boating season. Damoutflows were continued to maintain river oxygen levels below the dam at 5 orabove. The Lake level fell to approximately 866, down two feet below normalpool height. Some boaters and dock owners experienced difficulties on lakeremoval activities. Planning is underwayto perform a dredging operation in the Sunset Beach cove lagoon this winter orearly spring. 4. CLEAR boat – CLEAR owns a 24 foot pontoon boat foroperations on Cheat Lake. This was used during the late summer to removalplastic barrels and other debris from the Lake. 5. The South Trail washout which occurred in late June ofthis year resulted in the closure of the South Trail. Two or more culverts were inadequate to carrythe heavy rain flow and large gaps were created around the existing drainducts. Planning is underway to determinethe potential for repeat events so that repairs and upgrades will be adequate. 6. Cheat Lake Swimming Beach -- The swimming beach on CheatLake was opened on 2011 and has grown in popularity. CLEAR proposes to expandthe beach to include the area between the existing beach and the day-use boatdocks. A separate dog beach is also recommend. Fecal coliform pollution can be a problem a few days after heavy rainstorms.
7. Buzzard Run – The Cheat Lake Rotary Club has adopted aproject to create a public access point to the Cheat River at Buzzard Run, avery small stream near the intersection of Tyrone Road and Snake Hill Road. 8. Cheat Lake Water Quality -- The water quality in the Cheat River and Cheat Lake have been quitegood for the past few years. The Riverof Promise program of the Friends of the Cheat and other organizations andagencies continues activities to prevent or treat acid mine drainage into theRiver. A major water treatment plant wasbuilt and dedicated this summer at the mouth of Muddy Creek. This project includes a pipeline to movepolluted water from near its source to the treatment plant. The Cheat Lake River and Cheat Lake watergeneral show a TDS level below 200 microsiemens/cm. (Rowlesburg is seeking toinstall a treatment facility for their raw sewage outflow.) 9. Mon River Water Quality -- The Monongahela River water as monitored by the USGS metering stationat the Pt. Marion Dam shows TDS levels consistently above 200 microsiemens/cm.This measure is frequently above 300 and now is running above 400. Historicdata shows higher levels in the autumn months each year. The trends and risks for the Mon River waterquality are not promising. Duane G. Nichols, CLEAR330 Dream Catcher CircleMorgantown, WV 26508 Duane330(a)aol.com
