5/21/2008
Mount Storm, W.Va – Governor Joe Manchin III announced a project to restore the Abram Creek watershed in Grant Count.
The goal of the project is to improve water quality, thereby restoring aquatic life and recreational fisheries in more than six miles of tributary streams, and more than 18 miles of the Abram Creek mainstem.
Acid mine drainage from previous mining activities in the area has resulted in the loss of aquatic life in Abram Creek and many of its tributaries.
Restoration of the watershed will be achieved by ongoing neutralization of the acid content in the water by using limestone dosers, which are structures placed alongside a waterway that release limestone into the water increasing the pH level. In addition, limestone fines will be placed in the tributaries to be naturally dispersed into the streams by rain or rising water levels.
Governor Manchin praised the cooperative efforts of all those involved in the project and recognized the Mid-Atlantic Highland Action Program for coordinating the initiative.
“Several state and federal agencies, as well as private entities have worked together to make this stream restoration possible,” Manchin said. “As water quality improves, Abram Creek is expected to provide a diverse trout fishery, with opportunities for native brook trout expansion in the headwaters. In addition to increased recreational opportunities, the economic benefits of the project are estimated to generate $600,000 annually from trout fishing alone.”
The project is being funded primarily by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Land fund and funds for aquatic mitigation for the Corridor H highway construction.
Abram Creek was prioritized by the multi-state North Branch Potomac River Task Force and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the most significant West Virginia contributor of acid water to the North Branch of the Potomac, and thus to the Chesapeake Bay.
Contact Information
Kathy Cosco
(304) 926-0440