Immediate Business:
- GET YOUR CHEAT FEST TICKETS! Last day for preordered tickets is Wednesday, May 4th. May the 4th be with you as your order your last minute Cheat Fest tickets.
Into the Canyon - Newsletter of Friends of the Cheat Spring 2022
Board of Directors and Key Personnel
Amanda Pitzer, Executive Director; Owen Mulkeen, Associate Director; Madison Ball, Restoration Program Manager; Garrett Richardson, Monitoring Technician; Valorie Dixon, Bookkeeper; Beth Warnick, Media and Outreach Specialist; Lisa Maraffa, Program Assistant/Events Producer
Board Members
Interim Chair: Charlie Walbridge, Treasurer: Miranda Peddicord, Secretary: Rich Dennis, Sarah Hinnant, Connie Miller, Ben Hogan, Rick Chaney, Zach Fowler, Michael Strager, Dani Martin, Chris Wade, Justin Reedy
FOC awarded $1,000,000 to Reconnect 75 miles of the Cheat River
Completes Important Survey Work for Albright Dam Removal
The months of March and April have been bustling with activity in regard to FOC's efforts to remove the Albright Dam. The Albright Dam sits approximately midway on the Cheat River, blocking fish and other aquatic critters (including hellbenders and even paddlers) from moving freely. It is also over 70 years old and is becoming an expensive liability as it continues to age and endure Cheat River flooding events.
River connectivity is vitally important to a river system's health because it allows for widespread mobility of our aquatic species. This grants them access to the entire system to seek preferred habitat and forage widely, which is incredibly important as we are documenting more drastic changes to flow than in previous decades, as shown by our partnership completed with NASA last year.
In March, the Inter-Fluve, Hazen & Sawyer, and Triad design team conducted groundbreaking survey work, collecting critical data to answer unknowns related to the project. This data will allow us to see exactly how the river will change with removal and identify any areas of concern so they will be addressed fully before moving forward.
The work included topographic surveys, bathymetric surveys, drone imaging, geomorphic assessments, impounded sediment probing, and a structural assessment via raft. These efforts will result in a Feasibility Study Report that FOC and our First Energy partners will review in June.
As if these advancements on the project weren't exciting enough, in April FOC staff were surprised by a visit from the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service - Martha Williams and Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary - Shannon Estenoz, who work under Secretary of the Interior - Deb Haaland announcing a $1,000,000 award for the Albright Dam Removal project. It was an inspirational day standing on the banks of the Cheat River, reflecting on the story of its rebirth, and envisioning the new possibilities for the river's rebound in the future.
Learn more about the project and current updates at the Education Eddy, and at American Rivers and USFWS information tables at Cheat Fest on May 7th!
A Huge Thank You to our Donors!
Cheat Watershed Sponsors: Walbridge Family Foundation, Charlie Walbridge, Eliza Walbridge, Patrick & Lisa Ward, Thomas & Hope Covey, Sunrise Sanitation, Community Foundation for a greater Richmond
Cheat River Sponsors: Vince Luzentales & Michelle Salter, The Reed Foundation, the Szilagyi Family Foundation
Stream Stewards: Robert Uram, Susan & Don Sauter, David Brisell, Toddi Steelman & Joe Sinsheimer, John & Emy Hinnant, Paul & Betty Connelly, Healthberry Farm, Jen Sass & Michael Graham, Robert Moore, The Oakland Foundation, Megan & Bill Carlson, Meredith Pavlick, Giles Wright, Stratford Douglas & Jodie Jackson
For the period January 1 through April 15, 2022
Canyon Contributors: Larry & Beth Reseter, Keel-Haulers Canoe Club, Robert Moore, Anne Kibler Charitable Gift Trust, Coe Electric Inc, Bill Pennington, Tyler Mayhew & Mary Luckini, Upper Monongahela River Association, Jesse Pitzer, Richard Volkman
Narrows Navigators: Dave & Lena Cerbone, Elizabeth Wilson & William Guthrie, Steven Taylor, John Kobak, Roger Calhoun, Ben & Kendra Hogan, Alicia Pingley, Christopher White, Matthew McMillian & Chelsey Greaser, Garrett Tomblin, John Harvey, Jeanine Smith, Erin Graber, Stephanie Davis & Keith Nolan, Steve Ingalls & Anne Kmieck, Spring & Ken Kingsley, Joseph & Lois Knecht, Ryan Kuehn, Joe Jessecchia, Ben Baker, BioMost Inc, Alyeska Inc, Shelley Mitchell, Bob & Alice Vernon, Steven Taylor, Robin Bensonson, David Keers, Dale & Carolyn McVicker, Robert Gedekoh, Anonymous, Judith Knisely, Frank Jernejcic & Martha Korona
Confluence Crew: Christopher Sergeant, Zach Fowler, Robert Alexander, Shawn Grushecky, William Corley, David Herron, Matthew Shreve, Karen Everett, Robert Moore in memory of Keith Pitzer, William Webb in memory of Wendy Webb, Glenn Child, Rick Landenberger
Five Forks Friends: Harry & Linda Grandon, Adam Webster, Caitlin Sullivan, Jonathan Myers, Roger & Melinda Shrout, Angela Long, Henry Atterbury in memory of Wendy Webb, Charles Stryker in memory of Wendy Webb, Imre & Janet Szilagyi in memory of Wendy Webb, William & Jennifer McBee, Rachel & Aaron Humberson, Bill Shick, William Whitmore, Jason & Lova Jaros, Shannon Phares, Danielle Mucciarone in memory of Keith Pitzer, Jennifer Raber, O.W. Eckert Inc, Chris Lubic, John Sweet, Brad Daugherty, Carol Nix, Jon & Donna Weems
Good ‘Ole Friends: Kenneth Ferris, Phil & Mary Wotring, Jeff Macklin, J.A. McNerney, Neal Dana, Chris Bauer, Chris Wade, Doug Wood, Bill Fischer, Melanie West, Donna Morgan, Rich Widmann, Timothy Zinn, Danielle Martin, Jim Snyder, Lois Uranowski, Charles Kirby, Kathryn Moran, Marissa Bennet, Don Barth, Andrew Gunnoe, Charles Badger, Dan Ott, Erik Parow, Monica Fronzaglio, Gregory Cronin, Dan & Susan Soeder, D.W. Cassell, Thomas Hackman, Dianne Craft, Steve Selin, Greg Paul, Steve Koch, Andrew Horton, Dave W Cassell
Swim Guide Donors: Adam Webster, Theo, Colette, Sera, & Nico Zegre
In Memorandum:
Deborah Anneliese "Deb" Wise, 60, of Morgantown (Cheat Lake) passed away Monday morning, April 11th, 2022 at her home after a long illness.
She was born in Charleston, WV on August 5th, 1961, a daughter of the late Elmer Harrell and Inge Elisabeth Seibert Harrell.
Deb is survived by her two children, Candice Redd and husband Julian of Morgantown, and Amy Yoke of Masontown, WV; four grandchildren, Lilyan, Josephine, Julian, Jr. and Noah; her siblings, Teresa Martin and husband Howard of Morgantown, Cynthia Hawley and husband Dennis of Charleston, WV and Steven Harrell of Edmond, WV; and her cousin and devoted companion, Sarah Harrell.
Deb's love of water brought her to be part of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Friends of the Cheat and a white water enthusiast. She was proud to call West Virginia her home.
Deb Wise and Wendy Webb's FOC friends will be gathering Friday evening, May 6th, at the Cheat River Festival in Albright, WV. Please meet at the pavilion at 6:00pm. *This gathering is not Deb or Wendy's official memorial service, just a small remembrance in their honor at the fest. Please email Mykl Messer at myklm@aol.com if you'd like to submit a memory to be read.
Support FOC's 2022 Whitewater Access Campaign
Every year Friends of the Cheat works to maintain and improve access to the Cheat and Big Sandy Rivers. Although Bull Run Road on the Valley Point side survived the winter pretty well, there are a number of places that need to be fixed. There are five blocked culverts, several stretches of washed out gutters, and some severe damage to the "S-Turn" just above the Jenkinsburg Bridge Parking Lot.
FOC has already started work on this. We've filed the necessary paperwork with the WV Division of Highways (they've agreed to donate 100 tons of stone) and made arrangements with our partners at Solid Rock Excavating to do the work. The only thing we need now is YOUR HELP. Our goal is $10,000, which thanks to many of you we've achieved year after year. All gifts are welcome.
Please help as much as you're able. $100 renews your annual Friends of the Cheat membership; $300 will you a 2022 Cheat River Festival T-shirt* (please indicate your size in the "comments to seller" box in PayPal, or on the memo line of your check.) *Cheat Fest shirts will ship after May 1st.
In 2020, the West Virginia Land Trust (WVLT) acquired the Jenkinsburg Recreation Area, securing and protecting it for future river and trail public access. FOC will continue to manage the area in partnership with WVLT - and assist in future improvements.
The Rockville Bridge remains closed after being shut down by DOH in August of 2020. Paddlers can use the road from Pisgah to reach the FOC public access point - but fair warning - the road is in bad shape. Only 4-wheel drive vehicles with a generous clearance should attempt this. The River Right access road is much improved to within 100 yards of the FOC property - we will be working with a local landowner to improve the rough road on River Left.
Thank you for your continued support - and big thanks to those who have already donated this year!
2022 Whitewater Access Campaign Donors (to April 15): John Rooke, John Kobak, Keel-Haulers Canoe Club, J.A. McNerney, Diane Henderson, James Nardozzi, Jorge Flores, Joseph James, Bobi Jean Andros, Peter Armbruster, Erik Ordos, Alan D Andrews, Don Millard, JTech Computer Services, Stratford Douglas, Jacob Deering, Jeanne & Josh Kaufman, Steven Whitmer, Keith Heasley, Patrick Riley, Adam Johnson, Michal Jarnik, Jeff Macklin, James Hunt, Carlos Ifarraguerri, Larry Krall, James Snyder, Eric & Sara Henrickson, Kathryn McArthur, Thomas Hungar, Jennifer Franko, Marcy Fleeharty, Charles Kirby, Dave Bassage, Eric Morris, Peter Ravikovitch, Kelly Buckingham, Mary Spikowski, Anthony Broadwater, Thomas Hackman, BJ & Laura Nichols, Paul Lauch, Robert Moore
$2.1B in Abandoned Mine Lands Funds Coming to WV Over the Next 15 Years
The Infrastructure Law also included a giant surge in funding for the country’s Abandoned Mine Lands programs through 2038. West Virginia will see $140 million a year, every year, for the next 15 years. The AML community is excited by the prospects of the big, steady source of funds and we are strategizing and putting our heads together about how to increase capacity and use these funds to help communities.
FOC’s first priority is paying for ongoing operations and maintenance at our 20 existing sites. Next we will focus on improving the Dream Mountain passive remediation system, which outlets into Muddy Creek above the DEP’s Muddy Creek treatment plan. We anticipate proposing an active treatment endeavor for the Lick Run portals as well.
Rowlesburg Sewer Project Receives $7.5M in Congressionally Directed Spending Project Funds
Millions of dollars in Federal funds are flowing into the region thanks to the hard work and persistence of many community leaders and partners - including several projects that will directly benefit the Cheat River’s water quality. Friends of the Cheat has been monitoring bacteria levels downstream Rowlesburg for several years, recording potential dangerous levels of bacteria from the town’s outdated sewer system, so it was a no-brainer when FOC was asked to support the request for funding for the Rowlesburg Sewer renovation. We are thrilled that the project will receive $7,578,400 thanks to Senator Capito. Although the total project cost exceeds this award, the funding will enable Rowlesburg to complete design and move forward on priority components of the costly upgrade. Hopefully these upgrades will result in WVDEP lifting their Consent Decree which prohibits new customers, including new businesses.
The City of Parsons also received $1.6M for their sewer system project thanks to Senator Capito.
2022 Cheat River Festival
Virtual Silent Auction:
The Cheat Fest Silent Auction will be in a virtual format again for 2022. Check out the great items which have been donated by local artists, business, and friends.The auction will run from Monday, May 2 until Sunday, May 15th at 9pm.
Raffle Item:
Every year, someone close to our Cheat Fest family donates an awesome raffle item. This year, Pyranha Kayaks stepped up and donated a brand new 9RII Large in Orange Crush.
A donation of $5 will get you 1 chance to win and a donation of $20 you will get 5 chances to win! Chances will be sold at Cheat Fest until approximately 8:30 pm. Winner will be drawn Saturday May 7th, 2022 onstage at Cheat Fest at 9pm.
Learn more about this great boat!
New in 2022 - The Cheat Fest Food Drive!
We are partnering with Food for Preston to collect non perishable food items and hygiene items to stock their 11 pantries around Preston County.
We encourage everyone who attends to contribute an item to our Drive. Items will be collected at the Gates during the Fest. View the suggested donation list here!
Friday - Women Writers Meet & Greet
Friday evening, from 6:30-7:30pm, visit the Merch Tent to meet local Appalachian women writers Nancy L. Abrams, Crystal Good, Ellesa High, Ann Pancake, Susan Truxell Sauter, and Natalie Sypolt. Learn how West Virginia has inspired their work and what it is really like to be an author.
Featured Authors' Websites:
- https://www.nancylabrams.com/the-book
- https://scalawagmagazine.org/author/crystalgood/
- http://annpancake.blogspot.com/
- https://www.alleghenyfront.org/a-poet-mines-for-meaning-in-west-virginias-complex-energy-past/
- https://www.nataliesypolt.com/
Kids under 12 enter the festival for FREE! Remember to bring a white item for AMD tie dye! The dye for this project is made from acid mine drainage (AMD), the pollutant that plagues the Cheat River watershed.
We are also looking for egg cartons and paper towel/toilet paper rolls for our kid's crafts. Feel free to drop off any of these items at the FOC Office or bring it to the Kid's Tent.
Saturday Education Eddy Schedule:
- 12:00 pm - Eliza Siefert, Environmental Microbiology, WVU - What can live where?! A look at the extremophiles living in AMD
- 12:30 pm - Aaron Nemeyer, Environmental Scientist, AllStar Ecology - Festival Site Plant Identification Walk & Talk
- 1:15 pm - Cory Chase, Gardening Expert - BIOCHAR & Gardening: What biochar is, how and why you should use it, and how you can make it
- 1:45 pm - Amanda Pitzer, Friends of the Cheat Executive Director and Water Warrior - History of Friends of the Cheat & Ask Amanda
- 2:15 pm - Kristen Wickert, Mushroom Extraordinaire - All About Mushrooms
- 3:00 pm - Sara Cottingham, Senior Planner, Downstream Strategies - The Mountaineer Trail Network: Coming Soon to Preston County!
- 3:30 pm - Owen Mulkeen, Friends of the Cheat Associate Director - Cheat River Rail Trail Updates
- 4:00 pm - Madison Ball, Friends of the Cheat Restoration Program Manager - Hellbenders, Mussels, and Dams, Oh My! - Albright Dam Removal & Sensitive Species Monitoring
Food, Vendor, and Art Market:
Make sure to check out our wonderful vendors at Cheat Fest featuring artists and crafters from around WV. You will be sure to find something right up your alley at the Fest market. Hungry? Get ready to feast on food from a wide array of food vendors including BBQ, chimichangas, calzones, donuts, and more!
Compost - Keeping it GREEN:
We are partnering with WVU to compost a majority of the waste from the Festival. All dinnerware at the Fest will be compostable and we encourage you to compost/recycle whenever possible.
Carpool Contest:
In order to limit the fest-goer impact on the environment, we STRONGLY encourage carpooling. We are quite literally begging you to carpool as parking space is always tight at the Fest. We are offering prizes to those who take car pooling seriously.
You carpool to the fest (4 persons or more) and our parking attendants will be paying attention. Friday and Saturday, attendants will select 3 full vehicles at random. Winning vehicles will be notified on the spot.
- 1st place: 1 car will be eligible for free fest entry for everyone in the car. Includes free Festival entrance, camping, food, and beer.
- 2nd place: 1 car will be eligible for free fest t-shirts for everyone in the car.
- 3rd place: 1 car will be eligible for $5 off fest t-shirts for everyone in the car.
- Everyone else: All carpoolers will receive endless love from Friends of the Cheat for helping soften our footprint on the environment.
Upcoming Events
Tour the watershed with us this summer at one of our many snorkel events!
Shavers Fork Meet & Greet Open House, Stuart Recreation Area, Bowden - Saturday June 25th at 12:00 - 4:00: Bring your swimsuit! Weather permitting, the day will include a snorkel workshop in the afternoon (2:00 PM)
Dry Fork & Otter Creek Confluence Snorkel Workshop, Dry Fork Trailhead - Hendricks - Saturday July 23rd from 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Cheat River Narrows Snorkel Workshop along Rt 72 - Rowlesburg, Saturday August 20, 2:00 - 4:00 PM