West Virginia’s Blackwater River among most endangered in America

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — American Rivers has released its annual list of the 10 most endangered rivers in the country, and the Blackwater River in Tucker County is listed because of the construction of Corridor H.

The Corridor H highway project has been in the works for years, but locals and environmentalists have expressed concerns with the proposed route for the nine-mile section of highway between Parson and Davis in West Virginia.

In a press release, American Rivers said construction in that area could be a “recipe for disaster” because it could cause a former strip mine that has not been reclaimed to pollute the river with acid mine drainage. American Rivers’ report on the 34-mile Blackwater River says that clean water, fish and wildlife habitats, and recreation and tourism are all threatened by the project.

As an alternative to the damaging construction, American Rivers is pushing for the “Northern Route” which would bypass the town of Davis, go north of the town of Thomas and avoid the strip mining land.

Many Tucker County residents have been pushing for the alternate route for years due to concerns about light and noise pollution at Blackwater Falls State Park and the disruption of the community feel in and between Davis and Thomas. After more than 2,000 people signed a petition , the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHA) included the Northern Route in an updated report ; the new “Notice of Intent Supplementary Documentation” was published in February 2024.

Since then, the West Virginia Department of Transportation and FHA have accepted comments and opinions from the public.

American Rivers urged community members, area businesses, and civic and environmental groups to continue pushing for the Northern Route through the “Corridor H Go North Campaign,” which is led by the Friends of Blackwater group .

A full breakdown of both routes is available online here .

This is not the first time that West Virginia’s rivers have been included on American Rivers’ most endangered list. Last year, the Ohio River was included on the list because of pollution, and in 2012, the Coal and Potomac rivers were both on the list.

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