WV Rivers News: Raft the Gauley with WV Rivers, Conservation Farms, Fall Events, Save Our Streams Training

Raft the Gauley River with WV Rivers – September 23

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We’re teaming up with Adventures on the Gorge in Fayetteville to offer a one of a kind rafting trip down the Lower Gauley River on September 23! This special offer is limited to 20 raft seats at 9:30AM on 9/23. These seats are going to fill up fast, so reserve your seat soon by calling (800) 545-7238. Make sure you tell them you want to raft with WV Rivers by using the code 4PWVRC.

Raft seats cost $120 and part of the proceeds will be donated to WV Rivers. There is no better way to support river conservation!

You may even get to raft with WV Rivers’ board member and whitewater pioneer, Paul Breuer, as he guides one of the rafts and shares stories from his time on the river. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to support WV Rivers, book your raft trip today!

Save Our Streams Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment Workshop – October 26

Stream Monitoring Workshop with West Virginia Rivers Coalition and Save Our Streams (WV Department of Environmental Protection)

WV Rivers’ and Trout Unlimited’s WV/VA Water Quality Monitoring Program is partnering with the West Virginia Save Our Streams Program to train volunteer water quality monitors to conduct benthic macroinvertebrate assessments. Collecting, identifying and counting aquatic insects is a great way to understand the long-term and cumulative health of a stream. Read about a recent Save Our Streams workshop we hosted here.

Join us for our next Save Our Streams workshop at Camp Brookside Environmental Education Center in Hinton, WV on October 26. To learn more and register for the workshop, please email acrowe@wvrivers.org.

Farmers Leading the Way for Conservation

Angie Rosser joins members of the State Conservation Committee to tour sustainable farms. Photo courtesy of the WV Conservation Agency.

Farmers across West Virginia are adopting innovative practices that strive to improve water quality and conserve natural resources.

Our executive director, Angie Rosser, was able to see first hand how practices like stream fencing, roaming chickens, and cattle rotation directly benefits water. Recently, Angie got to tour outstanding conservation farms as part of a team selecting the 2019 State Conservation Farm of the Year. You can read more about these pioneering farmers and their sustainable practices here.

Stormwater Permit Re-Issuance Raises Concerns

This month our staff scientist, Autumn Crowe, pulls back the curtain on WV Rivers’ intensive efforts to review and comment on permits issued by the WVDEP.

She shares her experience commenting on a permit called the General Construction Stormwater Permit which regulates land development, over one acre, that is not associated with oil and gas activities. This includes everything from new housing developments to large industrial facilities.

You can read about the permit and challenges Autumn faces as she prepares WV Rivers’ technical comments here.

Celebrate Public Lands in September

September is National Wilderness Month and September 28 is National Public Lands Day and there are so many opportunities to celebrate our wild and wonderful public lands!

On September 28 we’ll be holding a National Public Lands Day Celebration with Conservation Legacy at Little Beaver State Park. The celebration features a morning of trail work and an afternoon of recreation, food and music!

Little Beaver State Park, in southern WV, has received over $400,000 from the Land & Water Conservation Fund and is a great example of how LWCF funds benefit West Virginia.

In honor of our outstanding public lands, we’re providing a free lunch to everyone that comes out to enjoys the park.

Trail work registration starts at 9:00am, lunch and entertainment start at 12:00pm.

Our National Public Lands Day Celebration is a great way to get outside and give back to the public lands you love. So, bring the family and care for your public lands while enjoying fellowship, a good meal, and fresh air.

Other Ways to Celebrate Public Lands:

September 20 & 21: Come say “hi” at Gauley Fest at the Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park. Want a free ticket to Gauley Fest? RSVP to volunteer here.

September 23: Explore our wild Monongahela National Forest from 10-2pm during our Forest Tour for Public Lands Advocates. RSVP here.

September 26: Join an archaeological dig and help provide new access points to the Greenbrier River Trail between the hours of 9-4. RSVP here.

West Virginia Environmental Council 30^th Anniversary Event – October 12

The West Virginia Environmental Council is an integral partner in WV Rivers’ water policy work. E-Council represents and assists all types of environmental organizations in West Virginia. During the legislative session E-Council acts as an official lobbying organization for a wide range of environmental interests. WV Rivers is proud to serve on E-Council’s board and support their work.

Find out more about E-Council and support their efforts during their 30th Anniversary Annual Meeting on October 12 at Coonskin Park. While you enjoy lunch, learn about E-Council’s 2020 Legislative Priorities and meet candidates running for office. Stephen Smith, candidate for governor, and Sam Petsonk, candidate for Attorney General are confirmed. All candidates are invited to attend.

Registration is $10 a person/$5 for students. Register online here and check out the event on Facebook.