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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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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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