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Flood Watch for Cheat River at Rowlesburg, WV
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 13 Apr '18

13 Apr '18

1053 AM EDT Fri Apr 13 2018 The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a * Flood Watch for The Cheat River At Rowlesburg * from Monday afternoon to late Monday night. * There is no current observed data. * Minor flooding is possible. * Flood stage is 16.0 feet. * Forecast...Flood stage may be reached by Monday early afternoon. $$ Sent from my iPad

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WV MetroNews – “I thought she was dead” says man and brother who helped rescue woman from Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 11 Apr '18

11 Apr '18

http://wvmetronews.com/2018/04/09/i-thought-she-was-dead-says-man-and-broth… “I thought she was dead” says man and brother who helped rescue woman from Cheat Lake This car went over the guard rail from Cheat road and rolled about 40 yards and ended up on its top in the Cheat River Monday. Rescue workers are seen here ready to rescue the woman, to be transported across the lake to be taken to a area hospital. she sits at right on the rock. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two brothers were traveling behind a woman who’s green Suburau Forrester was suddenly skyward, over a cliff, and sinking into Cheat Lake. Their presence might have saved her life. “She was in front of us,” Eddie Emery said. “She flew up in the air. We thought we saw something, and I pulled in and just jumped over the cliff and went after her.” Eddie and his brother Andrew were traveling behind the woman in the Cheat Road area when they saw the accident. “We stopped the work truck, got out of the work truck, went over the cliff, seen if anybody needed help, if anybody was alive,” he said. “We got halfway down the cliff before we could even hear her voice. She was crying out for help.” The woman was attempting to escape her vehicle, which eventually did fully go into Cheat Lake, when the Emery brothers arrived. First responders are still cleaning up the scene following a successful rescue Monday afternoon. “We got down to the water edge as she was getting out of her car,” Andrew Emery said. “We helped her to a safe rock to sit down. We took our jackets off, gave her our warm jackets to try and keep her warm.” “We sat down and waited with her until emergency response came. Then we waited for the emergency boat where we got her to the ambulance across the lake.” Police haven’t identified her other than as a 70-year-old woman from Fairmont. “I’m just amazed that she’s okay,” Eddie Emery said. “She was probably at 40 or 50 miles per hour, went head first into the lake. I thought she was dead. I’m just amazed she’s alive.” The accident call came in shortly before 1 p.m. Monday.

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Flooding Forces Road Closures, Early Dismissals Throughout Area « CBS Pittsburgh
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 04 Apr '18

04 Apr '18

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/04/03/fayette-greene-counties-flooded/ Sent from my iPad

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Lake Lynn Hydro Project - Recreation Plan Update Letter of Support.pdf
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 28 Mar '18

28 Mar '18

Mr. David H. Fox, Director Environmental & Dam Safety Cube Hydro Partners 2 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 1330 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Dear Mr. Fox: We appreciate this opportunity to provide input to the Recreation Plan Update for the Lake Lynn Hydro Project, known more commonly in Monongalia County as Cheat Lake. This recreation area is well known regionally and is quite popular for boating, fishing and more recently swimming at the Mill Stone Point Beach. Hiking and biking on the Cheat Lake Trail have been growing in popularity since that Trail was opened in the Year 2000. As you know, the Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association (CLEAR) has been active in promoting recreation, safety and environmental protection for the past 25 years. Our Monongalia County Commission has supported many of these activities over the years. Regarding the plans in the 2018 Recreation Plan Update, we support CLEAR is seeking to achieve a recreation presence in the form of one or more persons trained in recreation activities to host visitors and provide information and assistance as appropriate for hiking, biking, and swimming, as well as usage of the boat docks and picnic facilities. These activities can substitute for some of the security guard activities which you have addressed in the draft report as no longer needed. You are also proposing to suspend three year recreation review updates given the upcoming six-year re-licensing review. Along with CLEAR, we would favor a brief annual review to be shared among all interested parties so that any concerns can be made known and addressed relatively quickly. This would also provide an opportunity to learn of your success and progress in a timely manner. We want to join CLEAR in recognizing the fine job that your company has been doing in providing recreational opportunities regionally and for providing a valuable electrical supply at 54 megawatts. You may know that the Monongahela River Trail is being extended into Pennsylvania, so the opportunity to connect this extension to the Cheat Lake Trail may well become a reality within a few years. Thank you for this opportunity to provide input to the 2018 Recreation Plan Update. Sincerely yours, Monongalia County Commissioners. cc: Mon County Sheriff, Mon County Planner, WV-DNR.

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No Known Sharks in Cheat Lake
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 11 Feb '18

11 Feb '18

Sent via Don Strimbeck: URL: http://app.dominionpost.com/morgantown/books/dpostsunday/2018/20180211dpost… DOMINION POST Sports page 6-B 11 JAN 18 There aren’t any sharks in Cheat Lake ... or are there? We know that the warmer temperatures we’ve experienced in recent years changed the timing of various things. Flowers bloom earlier. Insect hatches are earlier. Fruits ripen earlier. Of course, all these things affect wildlife. Birds that nested to coincide with good food supplies now find that their timing is off. Some species have made adjustments, but some have not. Fish also are affected. Ocean fishes are now found farther north because their food supply is now farther north. For one reason or another, we’re now finding that at least three species of sharks that normally live in the ocean are invading freshwater. Maybe it’s due to water temperature, maybe not, but here are two examples of sharks that have moved into fresh water. Bull sharks can grow to seven feet and can be found along the ocean coasts and in bays and harbors. However, in recent years, they’ve been spotted in fresh water. In fact, they’ve been known to travel from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River to Illinois. The speartooth shark is another shark that has adapted to live in salt and fresh water. But the one that intrigues me the most is the spiny dogfish shark. Males mature at 11 years of age when they are about 3 feet in length. They are a food source in parts of Europe and there is a push to make them a food source here, as well. This is especially true in the Cape Cod region. If you dissected a fish in a high school or college science class, it was probably a spiny dogfish. Not very tasty in formaldehyde, but apparently not bad eating when prepared properly. Once the most abundant shark species in the world, their numbers have declined significantly, especially in the North Atlantic and across Europe, where their demand as food has rocketed. However, the reason this species intrigues me is because they can survive in fresh water. When the Ohio River recently receded after a major flood, one dogfish shark was found on a boat ramp in Illinois. When I heard a rumor last fall that a fisherman spotted one in Cheat Lake, I didn’t think much about it. A joke. A misidentification. But, now we know that one lived in the Ohio River. Makes one wonder what other sharks might be about. Obviously, a shark didn’t swim all the way up the Ohio then down the Monongahela River, and somehow got past the dam on the Cheat River at Point Marion. But what if someone caught one in the ocean and brought it alive to Cheat Lake and released it? Normally, that would not be a big deal, except that the Polar Plunge is coming up next Saturday at the docks near Crab Shack Caribba, on Cheat Lake. A shark probably wouldn’t bother one swimmer in Cheat Lake, but on Saturday there will be a bunch of swimmers in the lake raising money for a great cause. You might want to stop out there. Never know what you might see. And while you’re thinking about that, you can go the polar plunge website (sowv.org/), and make a donation for Special Olympics. My Rotary Club has three members who will be diving into those cold waters to raise money. Might they be in any danger? Might there be a shark in those waters? Naw. Don’t you believe it. Can’t happen. Yet again, there was one seen in Illinois. Hmmm

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Fwd: GREEN Legislative Update, Volume 28 Issue 2
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 19 Jan '18

19 Jan '18

Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: "WVEC" <info(a)wvecouncil.org> > Date: January 19, 2018 at 7:31:16 PM EST > To: Duane Nichols Nichols <duane330(a)aol.com> > Subject: GREEN Legislative Update, Volume 28 Issue 2 > Reply-To: "WVEC" <info(a)wvecouncil.org> > > > > West Virginia Environmental Council > GREEN Legislative Update > > Jan 19, 2018 View / Comment Online > > SOS Parks- Save our State Parks > Karan Ireland > The big news this week out of the Capitol is trees! Secretary of Commerce Woody Thrasher has outlined a plan to allow logging in state parks. Bills requested by the Governor to codify this plan have been introduced on both sides in the past week: SB 270 and HB 4182. Click here or on image to read more. > Tagged: Logging > Proposed Changes to Surface Mining Rule > Karan Ireland > As the first full week of the legislative session comes to a close, we here at the Environmental Council have been keeping our eyes on several DEP rules and bills related to water quality. Click here or on image to read more. > Tagged: DEP, Reclamation, Water > The Citizen Lobbyists > Crystal Good > Rumor has it that the Governor’s Office has been inundated with citizens like you calling to say NO to Bill SB270. SB 270 was initiated by Governor Justice’s Office and seeks to lift the 80-year-old moratorium on timbering State Parks. Click here or on image to read more. > Tagged: Legislation, Logging > West Virginia Environmental Council > > P.O. Box 1007 > Charleston, WV 25324 > United States > info(a)wvecouncil.org (304) 414-0143 > View or update your contact information > Unsubscribe from WVEC Legislative Updates > Opt out of all email from WVEC >

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Masontown VFD wins utility vehicle in nationwide contest
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 01 Dec '17

01 Dec '17

Masontown VFD wins utility vehicle in nationwide contest From an Article by Theresa Marthey STAFF WRITER, Preston News, December 1, 2017 MASONTOWN — Masontown Volunteer Fire Department has a new utility vehicle — at no cost to the department — and it was all due to an essay written by Masontown Fire Chief Matt Montgomery’s mother, Donna. “She told me she was going to nominate the department for this nationwide contest through RFD-TV for a new UTV, but what are the chances of winning a national contest?” Montgomery asked. “We were very excited when we heard we won, because ours is around 16 years old.” The department was chosen from 500 national entries to receive a Mahindra mPact XTV 750 S with Flexhauler Cargo Box, a gas side-by-side with a fold-down cargo box and standard electric cargo box lift. “This contest was open to any group of first responders in the United States,” Mahindra USA representative Travis Morin said. “We were impressed when we read the essay written by Matt’s mother about the flooding rescue this department did in July.” The incident Morin was referring was the July 23 rescue of more than a dozen people at the Bull Run bridge when quickly rising water surrounded their campsite. Approximately 19 people from Maryland and Pennsylvania had set up camp in the area where Big Sandy Creek meets the Cheat River. While the site normally could be reached with minimal wading, that weekend’s heavy rainfall caused the water to rise 3 feet and the current to become dangerously swift. Shortly before 10 a.m. July 23, volunteer fire departments from Masontown, Reedsville, Bruceton-Brandonville and a KAMP ambulance from Kingwood were dispatched to handle the swift-water rescue. “Mahindra North America is passionate about giving back to those that serve our communities. We are pleased to partner with RFD-TV to donate a Mahindra utility vehicle to the Masontown Volunteer Fire Department,” Morin said during the presentation. “First responders make a difference in their communities every day and deserve our support.” Montgomery thanked Morin and Mahindra USA, as well as Bob Meredith, owner of Mahindra of Clarksburg, who delivered the vehicle to the department on Tuesday. “This is a real honor to be chosen to receive this UTV out of the 500 entries in the contest,” Montgomery said. “There has been a lot of excitement here at the department since we found out we were chosen to receive this.” Montgomery said the department would still use its current UTV, since it has the medical bed. “We still need to get used to this new UTV and the operation,” Montgomery said. “But it will be put to good use. It will be nice to have two we can use.”

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Cheat River Flood of November 1985
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 08 Nov '17

08 Nov '17

https://www.theet.com/content/tncms/live/ Rowlesburg flood monument dedicated by Joseph Hauger EDITOR, Preston County Journal, November 7, 2017 ROWLESBURG — After years of volunteers’ efforts, a town struck by flooding 32 years ago this month now has a permanent reminder of the disaster. Members of the Rowlesburg Revitalization Committee and the ON TRAC program joined with community business and government leaders in unveiling a monument commemorating the flooding of November 4-5, 1985, which swept away a large part of the town. About three dozen people gathered at the Main Street Garden in the downtown Rowlesburg Historic District to have a first chance to view the marker. Kathleen Wolfe Oresanin, head of the revitalization committee, described the effects the Cheat River had on her family over the decades, from the flood in 1954 that inundated their motel and restaurant to the 1985 disaster that swept those businesses and two of their houses off the map. But we still love that river,” Oresanin said. “That old lover who keeps coming back to break your heart again and again and again.” Anna Nassif of Rowlesburg, one of the drivers of the movement to create the marker, pointed to the resilience of the town’s residents “and their ability to take us forward, to come up with creative solutions to any types of suffering we may experience from the elements — water, earth, air and fire. As the people have shown before, we can do it again.” Some of the solutions for the town’s future will come from the same river that nearly destroyed it, said Tim Weaver, owner of the River House Lodge. “This beautiful, treacherous river connects us to our past and to our future,” Weaver said. “We are stuck with you, Cheat River. You have taken much from us, among those things, lives, property, hopes, memories, dreams, heirlooms and entire parts of our community. You have stolen these from us. “You have given us much … and you can give us an option for our future, as you always do. A choice we can make. We can be and are becoming a tourist attraction because of you. … We can use you to build a new economy,” Weaver said. He pointed to new signs of economic development taking hold in the town, with land acquisition completed for a 15-acre RV park and for a service station and supply store to be known as the Cheat River Trading Post. “The river giveth and the river taketh away,” Weaver said. Robert Sypolt, president of the Preston County Historical Society and a Rowlesburg native, said this year seems particularly appropriate to dedicate the monument in the midst of the spate of tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and fires that have struck around the country. Shortly after these disasters happen, he said, there is a rush of initial aid, but it soon dwindles. But, in Rowlesburg, he said, some volunteers who were here in 1985 keep coming back year after year. “It’s important that we do take the time to thank these people when they come to town at their own expense and help maintain our communities,” Sypolt said. The production staff of Paul Riggs, Phil Wotring, George Nassif and Lee Waybright worked for years to obtain the funding to erect the memorial of a bronze plaque attached to a locally quarried bluestone slab donated by Wotring. Part of the worst flooding in West Virginia’s history, the Cheat River swelled to more than double the flood stage and destroyed large portions of riverside towns such as Rowlesburg and Albright. Statewide, the deadly torrents claimed 38 lives, damaged or destroyed 13,000 homes and caused $700 million in damage. Mayor Barbara Banister said the residents of her town can be bowled over by such hardships, but they spring right back up and continue with their lives. “Rowlesburg is the most resilient town you’ll ever find,” she said. Sent from my iPad

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Pennsylvania American Water issues 48-hour boil water advisory for 55+ communities, estimated 100, 000 customers
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 07 Nov '17

07 Nov '17

Pennsylvania American Water issues 48-hour boil water advisory for 55+ communities, estimated 100,000 customers From WTAE, Action 4 News, November 6, 2017 BETHEL PARK, Pa. — Pennsylvania American Water has issued a 48-hour boil water advisory for 55 communities in Allegheny and Washington counties. An estimated 100,000 customers are affected. (See the list of communities below). The advisory was issued as a precaution due to high levels of turbidity at the Elrama water treatment plant, according to PAWC. (The Elrama plant draws water from the Monongahela River a mile south of the Elizabeth bridge over the river on PA Route 51. Clairton is the next community downstream.) The advisory applies only to drinking and cooking, not bathing or washing clothes. Residents of impacted communities should bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. The advisory was issued as a precaution due to high levels of turbidity at the Elrama water treatment plant, according to PAWC. According to PAWC, turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking water. Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by suspended solids that are usually invisible to the naked eye. It is a key test of water quality. The full list of communities is as follows: Allegheny County --- Bethel Park, Clairton, Dravosburg, Elizabeth Township, Elizabeth Borough, Glassport, Jefferson, Jefferson Hills Borough, Liberty, Lincoln, North Fayette, South Fayette, South Park, Upper Saint Clair, West Elizabeth Washington County --- Amwell, Avella, Buffalo, Burgettstown, Canton, Canonsburg, Carroll Township, Cecil Township, Chartiers, City of Washington, Claysville, Cross Creek, Donegal Township, East Washington, Fallowfield, Finleyville, Frankfort Springs, Forward Township, Green Hills Borough, Independence, Hanover, Hopewell, Houston, Jefferson, McDonald, McMurray, , Midway, Monongahela, Mount Pleasant, New Eagle, North Franklin, North Strabane, Nottingham, Peters Township, Robinson Township, Smith Township, Somerset Township, South Franklin, South Strabane, Union Township, West Middletown WATER BUFFALO LOCATIONS: Bethel Park Community Center: 5151 Park Ave., Bethel Park, PA 15102 Canonsburg Dam parking lot: McDowell Rd., McMurray, PA 15317 Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church: 112 W. Pike St., Canonsburg, PA 15317 Carroll Township Volunteer FireDepartment: 988 Route 837, Monongahela, PA 15063 Elrama Volunteer Fire Company: 17 Elrama Ave., Elrama, PA 15038 North StrabaneFire Department: 2550 Washington Rd., Canonsburg, PA 15317 South Fayette Township Library: 515 Millers Run Rd., Morgan, PA 15064 South Park Township Library: 2575 Brownsville Rd., South Park Township, PA 15129 Upper St. Clair Community & Recreation Center: 1551 Mayview Rd., Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 Source : http://www.wtae.com/article/pennsylvania-american-water-issues-48-hour-boil… Sent from my iPad

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Trout for Cheat's whoppers aren't fish tales
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 04 Nov '17

04 Nov '17

Trout for Cheat's whoppers aren't fish tales by Joseph Hauger EDITOR, Preston County News & Journal, November 3, 2017 ROWLESBURG — Halloween may be over, but thanks to the efforts of a local group, some monstrous-sized fish are lurking in the Cheat River. Art George, president of the non-profit Trout for Cheat Inc., said stocking the river with the large specimens helps to attract anglers from all of the states surrounding West Virginia. “They come here because they want to get the big fish,” George said. “When they comes from other states, it’s a benefit to the county.” Trout for Cheat is in the midst of its fall stocking schedule, which began with the release of 1,700 pounds of fish into the river a week ago. That’s the standard weight for each of the organization’s stockings, which take place four times each spring and five times in the fall — more than seven tons of trout added annually. “The ones we released (Oct. 27) were two-to-eight pounds,” George said. “They’re mainly rainbow, but we do put in a few brown and golden.” The trout are placed in the water in 18-20 places from the Riverview Lounge on U.S. 50 to the Pringle Run area on W.Va. 72. Each stop was handled with military efficiency, due in no small part to the participation of Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy students performing community service projects. “They do a lot of work to make sure everything is going smoothly,” George said. When the caravan arrives at a site, a Preston County sheriff’s deputy helps with traffic control where necessary, the cadets quickly exit their vans and a bucket brigade is formed — sometimes over steep and rocky hillsides — to the riverbank. Fish are netted from the Indian Lake Fisheries truck that made the three-hour trip from Elkview, and the buckets are sent to the Cheat’s edge. When the allotment of trout are placed in that area, the participants scurry back up the hillside, stow their gear, jump into the vehicles, and the convoy heads to the next location. Each stocking day brings a price tag of $5,525 for Trout for Cheat — around $50,000 annually, George said. He and the other members of the executive committee, Buzz Halterman, Jim White, Jon Hunter, Bo Burnside and Bob Martin, conduct fundraisers, seek donations and find sources of funding to keep the waters teeming. “We’ve been at it for 16 years, and there’s still plenty to do,” George said.

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