Guardians of the West Fork Plan to Establish a West Fork River
Water Trail
Guardians Newsletter
28 October 2013
By Martin Christ
Guardians of the West Fork (GWF) is a watershed organization
"dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the ecological
integrity of the West Fork River, tributaries, and it's
watershed." It has bewen active since 2001.
GWF is improving the West Fork River through it's work on
Lambert's Run. This tributary to the West Fork river ran
approximately as clear as a red brick until GWF, with funding from
the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the
Office of Surface Mining, as well as technical assistance from the
National Mine Reclamation Center at West Virginia University,
carried out six projects to treat mine drainage. The partners are
currently working on one more project that will clean up a
tributary of Lambert's Run that remains polluted. GWF was a
pioneer in restoring streams from acid mine drainage in West
Virginia - its watershed based plan was the first one completed in
the state.
The West Fork River flows from near Rock Cave in Upshur County in
to Fairmont, where it joins Tygart Valley River to form the
Monongahela River. On it's way it becomes the main branch of
Stonewall Jackson Reservoir. Below Stonewall Jackson dam it flows
through Weston, West Milford and Clarksburg.
A water trail is a route on a stream, river or lake that provides
boaters with a recreational, scenic, historical or educational
opportunity. GWF, like other groups across the state, want to
invite people to boat on the river so more people will have an
interest in protecting and restoring it. The group is working with
Peggy Pings of the Rivers, Trails, Conservation assistance program
in the National Parks Service to secure official designation as a
water trail from the West Virginia Department of Transportation.
With this designation the group can request additional resources
for developing an water trail, such as publishing a water trail
guide or building boat ramps at launch sites. The Coal River near
St. Albans, the upper Monongahela River near Morgantown, and the
Cheat River between Parsons and Rowlesburg all have officially
designated water trails.
The West Fork Water Trail will feature excellent fishing,
including for muskie, and wild life viewing. GWF members have
recently reported seeing river otters. The water trail will also
visit a number of historic sits, featuring, for example the area
where Confederate Civil war general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
grew up.