Updates from WV Rivers Coalition
July 31, 2024
Photo by Vince Lombardi/Brooklyn Heights Riverfront Campground from our 2024 Summer Retreat.
We hope you’re finding time to enjoy the water with family and friends this summer. As we take in the beauty of our rivers and embrace these sunny days, we are also mindful of the challenges we face.
This summer, drought conditions have affected all 55 counties in our beloved state. These dry spells serve as a stark reminder of the critical need to safeguard our water supplies against climate change, ensuring water remains clean and abundant for future generations.
At WV Rivers Coalition, we’re committed to advocating for policies that protect our waterways and address the impacts of climate change. From pushing for stronger water quality standards to mobilizing communities around conservation efforts, we’re dedicated to ensuring that West Virginia’s rivers and streams remain clean and healthy.
Thank you for being part of this work. Your support and sustained advocacy do not go unnoticed.
Meet Our New Executive Director & Senior Scientist
Jennie Smith – Executive Director
After a thorough executive search, West Virginia Rivers Coalition (WV Rivers) is excited to welcome Jennie Smith of Morgantown as the new Executive Director.
Previously, Jennie served as President and CEO of Philanthropy WV, earned a MBA from the University of Maryland, and has more than 15 years of experience in non-profit management, charitable giving, and partnership development for community service organizations. She will officially begin her role on September 9.
WV Rivers’ Board Chair Mac Thornton expressed his optimism for the organization’s mission to ensure clean water for all West Virginians.
At our summer retreat, Mac stated, “Jennie Smith’s proven leadership and partnerships to help people in need will broaden the base of support for clean and healthy waters, land, and communities all across the Mountain State.”
Background image on photo by Jesse Thornton.
Nathaniel “Than” Hitt – Senior Scientist
Nathaniel “Than” Hitt is a tenth-generation West Virginian and freshwater biologist with expertise in fisheries, water quality, climate change, and open-science strategies.
He received his BA from the College of Wooster, MS from the University of Montana, and PhD from Virginia Tech. From 2009 to 2024, he served as a Research Fish Biologist with the US Geological Survey in Kearneysville, WV. In August, he joins WV Rivers as our Senior Scientist.
Apart from science, Than also enjoys playing Americana roots rock with his band, X of the Potomac, and hunting and fishing the Appalachian highlands.
WV Rivers’ Autumn Crowe remarked, “Than brings technical expertise and a deep understanding of the landscapes shaping water policy in West Virginia, which will significantly advance the goals of our Citizen Oversight and Regulatory Advisory program.”
Quick Action for Our Headwaters: Take the Survey Today
Images courtesy of WV Rivers staff and friends.
From the pristine Blackwater to the vibrant Greenbrier, the Mon Forest harbors West Virginia’s essential headwaters. These streams are lifelines, providing drinking water, habitats for wildlife, and recreational opportunities. The clean water from these headwaters sustains 9% of the country’s population, supporting species like the hellbender, candy darter, and native brook trout. They also offer some of the finest hunting and fishing experiences on the East Coast.
The Forest Service’s current management plan includes these waterways, ensuring their free-flowing nature and protecting their remarkable scenic, recreational, and ecological values. Key waterways managed for these values include Blackwater, Greenbrier, Shavers Fork, Otter Creek, and more.
Together, we can protect our headwaters and outdoor legacy.
Design Committee Gathers to Tackle PFAS Contamination in WV
Photo from this week’s meeting, which took place in Shepherdstown, WV.
As West Virginia prepares to draft PFAS Action Plans as required by the PFAS Protection Act, we recognize the importance of bringing community voices, particularly those of impacted residents, to the forefront.
This week, we held our first in-person meeting of the Design Committee for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Government to Government grant (EJG2G). In partnership with WV Department of Environmental Protection and community-based organizations from areas most impacted by PFAS contamination, we are creating a groundbreaking engagement model that centers community voices in identifying the sources of local PFAS contamination and prioritizing actions for remediation.
The Design Committee’s responsibility is to create a community engagement process informed by successful models from other communities and local knowledge. This framework will lean into the existing strengths of communities, and deploy a new ambassador role. In each community, our ambassadors will lead the way in teaching us the needs of their neighbors and defining how we can help address PFAS contamination at the source.
The EJG2G program provides funding to support activities that lead to tangible environmental or public health improvements. The 3-year project will focus on 11 communities with the goal of creating comprehensive PFAS Action Plans for each of 15 impacted water systems. The grant takes an initial focus on water systems in West Virginia that had PFAS detections above the then-current drinking water health advisory set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, based on the findings by the United States Geological Survey.
Get Involved
By working together, we can protect our water, improve public health, and ensure a cleaner, safer environment for future generations.
If you are passionate about environmental justice and solutions to PFAS contamination in our waters and want to get involved, we would love to hear from you.
Please reach out to Heather at hsprouse@wvrivers.org to learn more about how you can contribute to this effort.
Our Silent Auction is Now Live!
Background image courtesy of Jay Young. Bid on this piece in our auction today!
We asked some of our friends across the state to contribute to our silent auction, and they really showed up to support clean water in the Mountain State! From local art, books, and business bundles to a guided hike with naturalists in the New River Gorge, there’s something for everyone.
Whether you want to bid on a brewery tour, rafting trip, night at the Bike Farm, or an Old Town canoe, visit this link to join our silent auction: https://givebutter.com/c/WAaDUT/auction
Thank you to all our amazing partners who helped make this silent auction possible: Ann Pancake, Glenn Taylor, Liz Pavlovic, Mario’s FishBowl, John Oughton, Jay Young, Freefolk Brewery, Weathered Ground, 123 Pleasant Street, Jim Antonini, Gene’s Beer Garden, Lost Appalachia, Range Finder, The TakeOut, Arrowhead Bike Farm, Wild Mountain Soap, Waterstone, Jayne Anne Phillips, Denise Giardina, Jessie van Eerden, Neema Avashia, Nancy Abrams, Natalie Sypolt, Bad Shepherd Brewery, Crystal Good, Lisa Giuliani, Jen Allen, Andre Joseph, Bryn Perrott, Jamie Lester, Sarah Hoblitzell, Joe Lupo, River & Trail Outfitters, Shalya Marsh, Bruce Burgin, Wild Indigo Wares, Blue Moon Cafe, Nevada Tribble, Chrissy Zeltner, Sacred Totems, Blackwater Outdoor Adventures, ACE Adventure Resort, and New River Gorge Eco Tours.
We’re so grateful to have such a wonderfully supportive community.
In-Person Public Hearing on Water Quality Standards in Charleston, WV
Image courtesy of Luis Tosta via Unsplash.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is in the process of reviewing its Rules Governing Water Quality Standards as part of the Triennial Review process that happens every three years. This process is crucial for updating our water quality standards to protect public health.
In the last Triennial Review, thanks to your support, we successfully passed half of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 96 Human Health Criteria recommendations. Earlier this year, you urged WVDEP to stop dragging its feet and advocated for the adoption of the remaining criteria. After reviewing their draft Rules Governing Water Quality Standards, which are now up for public comment, we still have some questions and concerns.
WV Rivers Coalition needs your help to ensure WVDEP adopts or strengthens all remaining EPA recommended standards. Can you attend an in-person public hearing on the WVDEP Division of Water & Waste Management’s (DWWM) 2025 proposed legislative rules?
Public Hearing Details:
Date: Thursday, August 15, 2024
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Coopers Rock Conference Room,
(WVDEP Headquarters, 601 57th St. S.E., Charleston, WV 25304)
The deadline to comment is 5 p.m. on August 17, 2024. Our team is currently preparing our comments and will share an Action Alert tool to help you take quick action for clean water and public health.
Check back soon for more information on how you can advocate for safer, healthier water for all West Virginians. Thank you for all you do!
Image of a person holding a jar of murky water from their tap in Southern WV. Photo courtesy of Erin Beck/Mountain State Spotlight.
Join the Conversation: Help Mountain State Spotlight Report on West Virginia’s Water Access and Quality Issues
Mountain State Spotlight reporters have been traveling across West Virginia, hearing from residents about significant water access and quality issues. From pollution in Ritchie County’s drinking water to the lack of clean water and sewage systems in the southern coalfields, many communities are struggling.
Mountain State Spotlight is asking West Virginians to share their experiences with water-related issues. Have you experienced any of the following?
- Had to buy bottled water instead of using your tap?
- Had a well dry out or collapse?
- Had smelly or discolored water?
- Hauled water or faced other water-related issues?
Upcoming Events
The Water Fair at the Berkeley County Youth Fair is on August 7 from 4pm-8pm. Did you know this is one of the few remaining Fairs dedicated to Youth exhibitors? See you there!
We’re thrilled to sponsor and attend Artists of the New Fest at Love Hope Arts in Fayetteville, WV on August 10. Don’t miss the Youth Film Festival the evening before in Hico, WV.
Support and uplift the trans community through the power of art and music with us on August 17 & 18 in Huntington, WV at the First Annual Appalachian Trans Music and Arts Festival.
