In order to do watershed remediation work in West Virginia, organizations must have a watershed based plan that has been approved by the Department of Environmental Protection. There are many different elements that go in to a watershed based plan including:
-A description of the watershed, its geography, geology, and existing land uses
-Identification of the major sources of pollution within the watershed
-Proposed watershed improvement techniques
-Estimated costs and technical assistance needs
-A plan for getting the local community engaged
-Projected timeline, including measurable milestones
-Assessment criteria and a longterm monitoring plan
Right now, Friends of Blackwater has completed a watershed based plan for the North Fork, which is available here. We are currently in the process of creating a plan for Beaver Creek, and welcome input from the community. If you want to talk watersheds, email [email protected]