The focus for most southern West Virginians lately has been on snow.
But the cameras turn to the state’s rivers, with West Virginia’s PBS 2 set to air  “Birthplace of Rivers” Monday at 10 p.m. as part of the “This American Land” series.
The episode focuses on the Birthplace of Rivers, an area in the Monongahela National Forest that contains the headwaters of six rivers that are a source of drinking water, recreation and tourism for downstream communities. The six rivers are the Cranberry, Cherry, Gauley, Williams, Greenbrier and Elk.
The Birthplace of Rivers area has long been prized by hunters, anglers, hikers, birders and wildlife watchers for its pristine waters, rugged forests and natural beauty.
The area is so important to the region’s recreation and tourism industries that a collection of businesses, sportsmen and conservationists joined together to have the Birthplace of Rivers receive special designation as a “national monument.” Since the Elk River chemical spill, interest in the monument ideas has increased.
“Now, more than ever, people in West Virginia are thinking about the importance of clean water to their health, well-being, and economic security,” said Angie Rosser, executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. “The Birthplace of Rivers represents a recovery for our state on many levels. Protecting our drinking water at the headwaters is an important step toward restoring our confidence now and giving us hope for the future.
“The monument,” Rosser said, “would show the world that we are proud of our rivers and our heritage — it would provide a spark to help us be the West Virginia we know in our hearts we can be.”
The “Birthplace of Rivers” segment of “This American Land” features stunning footage of waterfalls, trout streams, bogs and forests in and around the Cranberry Wilderness Area, plus generations-old music from a local fiddler and interviews with monument proponents, including a small business owner explaining how a national monument would boost tourism.