We are celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2016! Our mission remains “to preserve and protect Monroe County’s abundant and pure water.”
Over the past year, working to preserve the quality of water in Monroe County, ICWA:
- Conducted a study of Hans Creek to establish a baseline which can be used in assessing future changes in water quality.
- Started a long-term project to determine the size, location and quality of the aquifers along Peters Mountain, which are crucial to more than 60% of our county’s drinking water supply. Aided by a local geologist and an associate professor of geology and hydrology from WVU, ICWA volunteers have identified over 135 springs along the mountain from historical data and current field work.
- Created an on-line file cabinet, hosted on the ICWA website, to serve as a central repository and county resource of “all things water-related” in Monroe County.
In 2015, working to protect the quality and quantity of water in Monroe County, ICWA:
- Worked with individual landowners and county groups to gather and report pertinent data about the county’s critical resources including water, agricultural, historical and cultural. This information can be used to plan sustainable, environmentally safe development, as well to safeguard against potentially destructive development, including the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP).
- Performed field and map work along the proposed MVP route, including data on the number of springs, stream crossings and karst locations which we found were under-reported in MVP documents. We sent comments and information to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Forest Service and other agencies and filed as an “intervenor” in the legal process.
We also applied for and obtained 501(c)(3) non-profit organization status (which means your donations are now tax-deductible!). At our October meeting, new bylaws were accepted and officers elected.
2016 promises to be just as full. ICWA benefits enormously from the shared expertise, enthusiasm and dedication of our diverse and multi-talented membership. We thank you each, and all, for your help.
How to get involved:
Help identify springs and caves in Monroe County:
We will be continuing our project to map springs along the full length of Peters Mountain and identify new springs in other parts of our county. If you would like to help, contact Howdy Henritz, 304-832-6566.
Clean up Monroe County:
Annual clean-up canoe trip on Indian Creek: Each year ICWA volunteers paddle downstream on Indian Creek and pick up trash along the way.
Come join us in April 2017 for a great canoe ride on Indian Creek and clean up the environment at the same time! You will see flowers and rock formations in sections of Indian Creek that are hidden from the road. For more information, please email indiancreekwater@gmail.com. The Indian Creek Canoe Ride Cleanup is part of the WV Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup.
Sinkhole cleanup: The WV Department of Environmental Protection Pollution Prevention and Open Dump Program (PPOD) cleans up sinkholes and open dumps throughout the state at no cost or obligation to the landowner. This is a great opportunity to protect the groundwater.
File an Open Dump Complaint Click Here to submit an open dump report to DEP officials and PPOD personnel to help with the location of dump sites and prosecution of violators.
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