Updates from WV Rivers Coalition
July 2026
Standing with Our Neighbors After Historic Flooding
Ian McKee with MetroNews Television captured this aerial image of high water in Weston, WV.
This week, communities across North Central West Virginia experienced devastating flooding that damaged homes, displaced families, and disrupted daily life for thousands of residents in Lewis, Upshur, and surrounding counties.
Our hearts are with everyone impacted, and we’re deeply grateful to the first responders, volunteers, mutual aid groups, Family Resource Networks, faith communities, and local organizations that immediately stepped up to help their neighbors. In moments like these, we are reminded that one of West Virginia’s greatest strengths is the way people show up for one another.
As recovery efforts continue, WV Rivers has compiled a resource guide with shelter information, cleanup safety tips, recovery resources, ways to support affected families, and guidance for reporting pollution concerns that can arise after flooding.
While our immediate focus is on supporting recovery, these floods are a stark reminder that communities across West Virginia are experiencing severe weather and flooding with increasing frequency.
That’s why WV Rivers continues to advocate for policies and investments that help communities prepare before disaster strikes.
Earlier this month, we presented on a flood resiliency webinar hosted by Reimagine Appalachia and the Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition featuring experts and community leaders discussing practical solutions for reducing flood risk, strengthening infrastructure, and improving community preparedness. If you missed it, the recording is now available online at this link.
We’ll continue the conversation with another webinar “Responding While Recovering — Storm Recovery Futures Amid Ongoing Disaster” on August 4, 2026 at 2:00 PM, where we’ll explore additional tools, resources, and strategies that can help communities become safer and more resilient in the face of future flooding events with our regional partners.
Recovery takes all of us. So does building a future where West Virginia communities are better prepared for the challenges ahead.
Call for Artists: Create the Mon Returns
We invite you to let the Mon Forest be your muse. Create the Mon is back and we want to see how the crown jewel of our public lands inspires you! Background image courtesy of Kent Mason.
Do you find inspiration in the Monongahela National Forest? WV Rivers Coalition, West Virginians for Public Lands, Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, and A Waterway of Life invite artists of all ages and experience levels to participate in the 2026 Create the Mon Art Exhibition.
We believe everyone can “Create the Mon.”
This year’s exhibition will be held through October 2–31, 2026, at the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center in Elkins, and will celebrate the beauty, wonder, and inspiration of the Mon National Forest.
Whether your medium is photography, painting, poetry, pottery, music, song, fiber arts, or something entirely unique, we want to see how the Mon Forest inspires your creativity. Selected works will be displayed during the month-long exhibition, and attendees at the opening reception will vote to award a $100 People’s Favorite Prize.
Important Dates
- Submission Deadline: August 25, 2026
- Artist Notification: August 30, 2026
- Exhibition Dates: October 2–31, 2026
- Opening Reception: October 2, 2026
Ready to Create the Mon? Submit your work by August 25 and help celebrate one of West Virginia’s most treasured landscapes. There is no fee to participate.
WV Rivers Team Joins New River Cleanup Effort
What a crew! Members of the WV Rivers team and volunteers with the New River Conservancy gathered for a group photo with all the trash cleaned up from the river.
This month, members of the WV Rivers team traded their desks for paddles and trash bags as part of a Volunteer Day.
The cleanup, organized by the New River Conservancy (NRC), brought together volunteers and partner groups from across the region to remove waste and debris from the New River. For our staff, it was an opportunity to reconnect with the waters and communities that inspire our work every day while helping care for one of West Virginia’s most beloved rivers.
Dave Bassage, NRC’s New River Gorge Program Coordinator and WV Rivers board member, stated: “This was the largest cleanup in my tenure at New River Conservancy in terms of volunteers and partner organizations. It went very smoothly overall, considering the added logistical challenges, and we got a lot of trash out of the river!”
We’re already looking forward to seeing our NRC friends and the New River Expedition crew again at the Journey’s End Celebration at the Gaines Estate in Fayetteville, WV on Sunday, August 9, 2026 from 3:00 – 6:00 PM.
WV Rivers will be honored during the event, so come celebrate the expedition, connect with conservation partners, and say hello to our team!
WV Rivers to Host Additional PFAS Community Meetings in August
Join us for Community Meetings on PFAS Action Plans for residents relying on the public drinking water systems that showed elevated levels of PFAS in the statewide sampling of source water commissioned by DHHR and DEP, conducted by USGS in 2020.
Do you live in a community affected by PFAS contamination? Man-made chemicals known as PFAS or “Forever Chemicals” have been detected across West Virginia, including in public drinking water systems in Northern WV and the Eastern Panhandle.
PFAS are used to create a wide range of waterproof, stain-resistant, and non-stick products. Many of these products are considered essential to modern life, public safety, and health. However, the same properties that make PFAS useful also make them extremely persistent in the environment.
We have already hosted community meetings focused on understanding the PFAS problem and discussing solutions that protect public health and clean water in Follansbee, Chester, Weirton, Benwood, Berkeley Springs, Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, and Martinsburg.
In August, we will host our next series of meetings in New Haven, Harrisville, St. Marys, Hurricane, Walton, and Moorefield. If you live in one of those communities and rely on public drinking water systems for your water, please join us at one of our upcoming meetings:
- New Haven
Tuesday, August 11 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
New Haven Community Building- Water System: New Haven Water Dept
- Harrisville
Wednesday, August 12 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Harrisville Town Building- Water System: Hughes River Water
- St. Marys
Thursday, August 13 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Jim Spence Center- Water System: St. Marys Water Dept & Bens Run Industrial Park Water System (Friendly, WV)
- Hurricane
Monday, August 17 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Valley Park- Water System: City of Hurricane
- Walton
Tuesday, August 25 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Walton Community Building- Water System: Walton PSD
- Moorefield
Thursday, August 27 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Main Street Gallery and Art Center- Water System: Hardy County PSD Baker & Moorefield Municipal Water
These meetings are hosted in partnership with West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services.
Everyone is welcome. Light refreshments and gift cards will be provided as our way to say thanks for participating.
Maria Russo Named Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow
Our very own Maria Russo is one of the 2026 Bloomberg Fellows!
A new analysis by researchers at Yale University and the University of Massachusetts found that 65% of Charleston’s drinking water supply comes from streams that no longer receive federal Clean Water Act protections.
Following a 2023 Supreme Court decision, many small headwater streams including streams that only flow after rain or snowmelt — lost federal protections despite their critical role in supplying clean drinking water downstream.
For mountain communities like ours, these small streams are anything but insignificant. They feed larger rivers, filter pollution, and help protect drinking water before it ever reaches a treatment plant.
The findings come as EPA considers additional changes that could further reduce protections for streams and wetlands across West Virginia. At the same time, our state’s aging drinking water infrastructure continues to face enormous challenges. We hope you will remain engaged as WV Rivers advocates for solutions to these systemic issues.
Deputy Director Autumn Crowe said in a release, “It’s much cheaper to protect these streams from pollution at the source, rather than trying to make the water safe through high-cost treatment methods. As we continue to seek funding for long-overdue water infrastructure improvements, we shouldn’t abandon headwater stream protections that provide clean water to downstream communities.”
Welcome to the Team, Becky and Eric!
Meet our newest team members!
We’re proud to share that West Virginia Rivers Coalition has grown to a team of 15. Please join us in welcoming two new staff members who will help advance our work for clean water, public lands, and healthy communities.
Meet Becky Conrad, Development Director
Becky Conrad brings more than a decade of nonprofit leadership experience in fundraising, grant development, donor relations, and community engagement. Throughout her career, she has secured millions of dollars in grant funding, cultivated meaningful partnerships, and helped mission-driven organizations expand their impact through strategic fundraising and collaboration.
In addition to her professional work, Becky has dedicated years to community leadership and youth development through the arts, helping create opportunities that foster confidence, creativity, and connection. She is passionate about strengthening the communities where people live, work, and raise their families.
Please join us in welcoming Becky to the WV Rivers team! You can say hello at bconrad@wvrivers.org.
Meet Eric Palfrey, Production Coordinator
Eric Palfrey brings more than 20 years of experience in multimedia production, digital storytelling, and content creation to help connect people with West Virginia’s rivers and inspire their protection. A lifelong Appalachian outdoor enthusiast, Eric has spent more than 25 years as a whitewater guide on the New and Gauley Rivers, fostering a deep appreciation for the state’s waterways. Throughout his career, he has created documentaries, community media, and digital content that amplify local stories and engage diverse audiences.
At WV Rivers, Eric will use the power of visual storytelling to support our mission of advocating for clean and healthy waters for all in West Virginia while strengthening connections between people and the waters that sustain our communities. He will also support our website update (coming soon) and coordinate our email updates you receive!
You can send Eric a welcome email at epalfrey@wvrivers.org.
Investing in Community-Led Clean Water Solutions
Thanks to support from WV Rivers’ Community Mini-Grant Program, students from Midland Trail High School participated in a Trout in the Classroom release, putting science into action and learning firsthand about healthy waters and aquatic habitats.
One of the most inspiring parts of our work is seeing neighbors turn great ideas into action. Through the WV Rivers Mini-Grant Program, we’re proud to support community-driven projects that connect people to clean water, strengthen environmental stewardship, and empower local advocates.
This June, we awarded mini-grants to several organizations working to protect and celebrate West Virginia’s waters:
- Greyhound Youth Sports is launching an aquaponics program that combines gardening, science, and environmental education, helping youth learn about fish, water systems, and aquatic habitats through hands-on experiences.
- Wheeling Creek Watershed Alliance is working with Freshwaters Illustrated on a nature and community-based documentary film about the Upper Ohio River Basin, highlighting the basin’s outstanding biological diversity, vast improvements in water quality over the last 50 years, and the hard work of the communities that are restoring and protecting the regions rivers and streams.
- Empower Her Environmental Wellness is engaging women, families, and underserved communities in environmental health education, citizen science, water quality monitoring, and advocacy training.
Some of the best solutions start at the community level, and our mini-grant recipients reflect that truth!
Do you have an idea that could improve water quality, connect people to local waterways, inspire stewardship, or build community engagement around clean water? Apply for a WV Rivers Mini-Grant! Our next mini-grant application deadline is August 15.
