The Board Meeting for May has been cancelled.
Canceled: Regular Meeting Wednesday 15 May 2024
The Guardians Board will meet at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, 15 May 2024 at the Clarksburg Water Board and online, followed by a membership meeting at 7:00 p.m.
Dues for 2024-2025 are now due. You may pay online or at the meeting.
If you are interested in attending online and not on the email list, please email admin@guardiansofthewestfork.org for the meeting logon information.
Dr. Stuart Welsh: Hornyheads, Madtoms, and Darters: Narratives on Central Appalachian Fishes
May 6 @ 6:00 pm
Join Dr. Stuart Welsh as he presents from his book, ‘Hornyheads, Madtoms, and Darters: Narratives on Central Appalachian Fishes’! Dr. Welsh will share images, knowledge and stories of some of the dwellers of West Virginia’s streams and rivers, along with the issues they face. Come learn about some of our native fishes, their lives and the fascinating things they do! The event will take place in the Tygart Lake State Park Lodge Conference Room at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Happy Earth Day!
Thanks to Lincoln High students, Americorps VISTAs, Guardians, and Kelly Cook of REAP for this cleanup Sunday, downstream from the Shinnston boat access! We discovered a century old dump along the bank, so a lot of broken glass and china won’t be washing into the West Fork, but there is still a lot to do.
We are planning a cleanup along Browns Creek and the South Harrison Rail Trail (north of Mount Clare) in June. The river bank below the Hartland Dam needs work. If you have another spot along the West Fork or tributaries, email admin@guardianofthewestfork.org with the details.
Cleanups
Thanks to Julie Yearego, Robert Helfer, and Lisa deGruyter. The Scouts moved to Bridgeport City Park, but these three Guardians filled 6 bags, collected a large sheet of sheet metal and a container of household trash left in the trail.
Next cleanup is Sunday, April 21, for Earth Day, with Lincoln High Students at Shinnston.
We are planning a cleanup along Browns Creek and the South Harrison Rail Trail (north of Mount Clare) in June. The river bank below the Hartland Dam needs work. If you have another spot along the West Fork or tributaries, email admin@guardianofthewestfork.org with the details.
Make It Shine!
Join the Guardians of the West Fork and Bridgeport Girl Scout Troop 35344 for a stream bank and rail trail trash clean up on Saturday morning, April 13, 9-11 a.m.
Rain or shine. Please wear boots and clothing you don’t mind getting muddy!
Gloves, grabbers, and bags provided. Meet at the Rail Trail near the tunnel at VA Park, near the Dog Park, boat ramp, and baseball field.
Sign up so we have enough supplies.
Regular Meeting Wednesday 17 Apr 2024
The Guardians Board will meet at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, 20 Mar 2024 at the Clarksburg Water Board and online, followed by a membership meeting at 7:00 p.m.
This will be our Annual Meeting, including the election of officers and Board members. Members who have paid dues in the last year are eligible to vote. If you pay your dues between now and the meeting your membership will be good through April 2025.
If you are interested in attending online and not on the email list, please email admin@guardiansofthewestfork.org for the meeting logon information.
Earth Day Cleanup!
Join the Guardians of the West Fork and Lincoln High School students for a stream bank and rail trail trash clean up on Sunday, April 21, 2-4 p.m.
Please wear boots and clothing you don’t mind getting muddy!
Any questions, please contact Mrs. Julie Yearego at Lincoln High School: jyearego@k12.wv.us or at 304-326-7400 ext. 6730. Gloves, grabbers and bags provided to volunteers who sign up. Meet by the Shinnston Bridge along rail trail to Enterprise. We can carpool back at the end.
Sign up here so we have enough supplies.
Regular Meeting Wednesday 20 Mar 2024
The Guardians Board will meet at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, 20 Mar 2024 at the Clarksburg Water Board and online, followed by a membership meeting at 7:00 p.m.
We will be reviewing progress on Lambert Run restoration and the upcoming grant application to support it, our Stream Partners grant, which signs for Water Trail access points, expanded pop-up paddles and weekend paddles, and stream cleanups.
If you are interested in attending online and not on the email list, please email admin@guardiansofthewestfork.org for the meeting logon information.
Briefing: Community Clean Water Priorities for Ohio River Basin
80% of West Virginia’s streams and rivers make their way to the Ohio River. Though there have been significant improvements to water quality in the past few decades, people see that there are still serious threats to our waters and the health of the people and ecosystems that depend on them.
Our local and state governments are under-resourced to handle the magnitude of solutions needed now to address problems in our communities, including toxic pollution, sewage contamination, and increased flooding.
Led by the Ohio River Basin Alliance, a design process is underway that will lead to a regional plan to address threats to the waters we all depend on. Ensuring this plan is community–driven requires that those who are most impacted by a problem have a voice in determining the solution.
WV Rivers Coalition worked in collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation, Ohio River Basin Alliance, and advocacy groups along the river to host community listening sessions. We asked: What concerns do you have about our waters in the Ohio River Basin? And what solutions do you think will help address them?
A new report has been released that details the findings of the 31 listening sessions across the 14 state region. Click here to read the report and join us for an upcoming webinar to hear more about the findings.
- Monday, February 26, 11 a.m. Eastern
- Tuesday, February 27, 7 p.m. Eastern
- Wednesday, February 28: 2 p.m. Eastern
- Thursday, February 29: 1 p.m. Eastern
The findings of this report are informing the regional Ohio River Basin restoration and protection plan. Once that plan is complete, it will be released for public comment. People will have another opportunity to say what they would include in the plan and offer comments and suggestions. The restoration plan will then be finalized and delivered to the U.S. Congress.
Stay tuned for actions you can take to uplift community priorities in the Ohio River Basin and help secure the investments we need for commonsense solutions, pursued with urgency, to protect our drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life.
More soon,
Heather Sprouse
Ohio River Coordinator, WV Rivers Coalition
Guardians of the West Fork Watershed 