By Frank Jernejcic and Dave
Wellman
A Success Story
For most people, their first and only view of Cheat Lake occurs while
crossing the Interstate 68 bridge east of Morgantown. Most interstate travelers
do not realize that the majority of the picturesque lake’s 1,730 acres lie out
of sight north of the bridge. Only four other lakes in the Mountain State are
larger. The maximum depth is about 90 feet near the dam, while the depth under
the I-68 bridge is
eight to 20 feet.
Historically, water quality throughout the Cheat River watershed has been
negatively impacted by acid
mine drainage (AMD) and Cheat Lake has served as
a catch basin for highly acidic water. Cheat Lake
is recovering from 80 years
of AMD impacts, and anglers are experiencing the rebirth of a fishery.
Acid
mine pollution has reduced the productivity of the lake and its fish
populations ever since this man-made
impoundment was created. Various fishery
surveys in the lake throughout the years revealed a meager fish
population
characteristic of waters severely impacted by AMD. As a result, biologists did
not attempt fishery
management activities in the lake until the early
1990s.
Concerned citizens formed The Friends of the Cheat (FOC) watershed group in
the spring of 1994 in response to a significant AMD blowout from an underground
coal mine that had been closed recently. The founders immediately recognized
that the scope of the AMD problem in the watershed extended far beyond this
single catastrophe, and that all available resources would need to be
coordinated to achieve a solution. Consequently, their efforts led to the
formation in 1995 of the River of Promise (ROP) task force composed of local,
state and federal government agencies, private industry, academia, and
conservation organizations. Meeting quarterly and chaired by FOC members, the
ROP task force initiates, monitors and coordinates AMD remediation projects
throughout the watershed.
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Unfortunately, events in May 2009, and to a lesser extent in November 2009,
illustrate Cheat Lake’s continued vulnerability to AMD inflows. The pH
throughout Cheat Lake fell below 6.0 while Cheat River entering the lake
experienced pH values less than 6.0 for almost the entire month of May. The pH
depressions indicated that acid sources from mine drainage and/or acid
precipitation still negatively impact
Cheat Lake. Fortunately, no dead fish were observed during these events,
nor was fishing obviously affected.
The lake’s large volume of good quality water was able to dilute the lower
quality inflow during those events.
The continued recovery of Cheat Lake fish
populations and the development of a new tailwater fishery are dependent upon
the maintenance of good water quality in the lake. The recent water quality
improvements are related to a reduction of acid mine drainage entering the lake.
The cause of such a reduction has not been documented, so it is not certain if
the situation is permanent. Fish populations and water quality will be monitored
in the lake and in the Cheat River above and below the lake to determine the
future of fishing in these waters. West Virginia’s anglers are optimistic that
the future of fishing in Cheat Lake will remain positive.
Frank Jernejcic is the District Fisheries Biologist and Dave Wellman is the
Assistant District Fisheries Biologist stationed in the WV-DNR Farmington
office.