Marion County Commission
BURLEY "BUTCH" TENNANT, JR. President
RANDY J. ELLIOTT Commissioner
GUY WARD Commissioner
Address Correspondence to:
200 JACKSON STREET
ROOM 403
FAIRMONT, WEST VIRGINIA 265
(304) 367-5400
FAX (304) 367-5431
A RESOLUTION TO KEEP UPPER MON WV LOCKS OPEN
Whereas, locks on the Upper Monongahela river in West Virginia
are essential to support river commerce, recreation, and economic
development of the Monongahela River watershed in West Virginia;
and,
Whereas, the leadership of the federal government, through actions
by the administration and congress, is essential for funding and
enabling the maintenance and operation of the nation's navigable
river systems as well as for permitting the US Army Corps of
Engineers (COE) to work innovatively with States, citizens, local
governments, business organizations, river recreational entities,
and others to accomplish this need through innovative solutions;
and
Whereas, the headwaters of many of our nation's navigable rivers
have suffered a decline in river industrial commerce, resulting in
severe cutbacks in federal funding for maintenance and operation
of locks and dams on these rivers by the COE, including the hours
the locks are open for transit by river traffic; and
Whereas, this problem is especially severe within the Pittsburgh
District of COE, for the Monongahela River in West Virginia, and,
for the upper reaches of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania, thus
causing great harm to commercial and recreational users of these
two rivers and to the communities and businesses that rely on
unhindered navigation of these rivers; and
Whereas, the US Army Corps of Engineers, via their Inland Marine
Transportation System LEVELS OF SERVICE GUIDE, March 2012, has
determined that inadequate funding of our nation's navigable river
facilities (e.g., locks and dams) has created grave financial
problems for maintaining this system on the Mon River, thus
requiring that low-use locks be shut down to free up funds for
high-use locks, and that the low level of commercial lockages at
the locks on the upper Mon in WV, requires that as of 1 November
2012: (1) Morgantown lock will operate one shift per day, weekends
and holidays only; (2) Hildebrand and Opekiska locks will be
commercial lockages by appointment only-no recreational lockages;
and
Whereas, local citizens working as an Upper Mon River Association
(UMRA) advocate for the federal resources to protect, maintain,
and operate safe locks and dams to support local commerce,
recreation and economic development:
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, the Marion County Commision of
West Virginia calls upon Congressional Representatives to support
1) authorization and funding for studies of how the
federal government might partner with states and local communities
on innovative ways to fund and operate river navigation facilities
and services, and 2) the long-standing recommendation of UMRA in
coordination with the Pittsburgh District COE, to add support of
recreational boating, fishing and other river based recreational
and similar economic development activities to the mission and
duties of the US Army Corps of Engineers for their operation of
navigable rivers.
Be It Further Resolved, the Marion County Commission of West
Virginia supports additional, specific actions presented by UMRA
(and co-sponsored by the Mon River Recreation & Commerce
Committee of the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce) to the
Pittsburgh District COE being undertaken as interim solutions in
lieu of the planned closing of upper Mon locks on 1 November 2012
until our federal government keeps locks open not only for river
commerce but also to enhance river watershed economic development
including river recreation.
(1) Open the upper Mon locks for 45 days during the 1 April
through 31 October recreational boating season. It is recommended
that three day weekend operations be scheduled for Friday through
Sunday, and on holidays. (This would facilitate
fishing tournaments which are of great economic
benefit to the upper Mon region and would also
allow recreational boaters to full access to the upper Mon. This
mode of operation also would exercise the locks to ensure they
remain operable.)
(2) Authorize the use of contractual, temporary part-time or
seasonal employees or even auxiliary volunteer methods to provide
lock operators other than using primarily of permanent Pittsburgh
District COE employees. (Evaluate the possibility of a Corps of
Engineers Pittsburgh District Auxiliary, to provide, train, and
certify volunteer lock operators.
This auxiliary, perhaps modeled after the successful Coast Guard
Auxiliary
system, perhaps could undertake other assistance to Pittsburgh
District missions.)
(3) Investigate innovative ways to fund operation of the locks.
(Consider creating an Upper Mon Port Authority that governments
and businesses, others could join and
contribute funds for running the locks. This approach
would possibly require Congressional action.)
(4) Fully maintain by the Pittsburgh District COE the upper Mon
locks and dams upon closure in order to provide public safety as
well as protection of the facilities so that in the future these
facilities can be quickly returned to service, when political,
recreational and/or business factors require that the locks be
reopened.
(5) Maintain the nine foot channel depth on the upper Mon so that
dams and boat ramps will not be allowed to be
silted in.
(6) Provide a public boat ramp access to the Hildebrand pool.
(7) Provide an alternate public boat ramp access to the Morgantown
pool which is less susceptible to silting than the Uffington boat
ramp or dredge the Uffington boat ramp.
(8) Dredging or relocate the Prickett's Fort boat public launch
ramp. (All boat ramps are important to bass tournaments.)
(9) Provide a means at the upper Mon locks for portage of canoes,
kayaks, and other small boats, around the locks.
(10) Establish fishing platform access at the Morgantown lock and
dam on the south approach wall to the dam.
(11) Provide a walk path access to the river bank from the rail
trail on the Morgantown side of the river from the Morgantown lock
and dam down to Decker's Creek.
(12) Classify WV Division of Natural Resources lockages as
commercial lockages.
(13) Exercise the operation of locks and dams sufficiently to
limit closure impact on fish mobility on the river and to permit
survival of mussels.
(14) Explore the possibility of remote control of lockages at
three upper Mon locks from the Point Marion lock and dam.
Adopted this _lst_ day of August, 2012.
Burley "Butch" Tennant. President
Guy Ward, Commissioner
Randy J. Elliott, Commissioner
Attest:
Janice Cosco, County Clerk