A WATERSHED APPROACH TO
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY
John M.S. King
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Environmental Advocate
304-382-8666
West Virginia Department of Environmental ProtectionDivision of Water and Waste
Division of Mining
Office of Oil & Gas
Division of Air Quality
• Permitting
• Enforcement
• Emergency Response
Toll Free Advocate Hotline
1-800-654-5227
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Vital to protecting the environment Problems are better solved when concerned citizens are involved in
developing a dialogue among industry, environmental protection
officials, & their communities.~~WVDEP Citizen’s Guide
WATER QUALITY
The Infrastructure of Life
Cuyahoga River, 1969
Lakes, Wetlands, & Rivers =
• < .01% of all water on Earth
• Contain ½ of World’s known Fish Species
• Freshwater animals are disappearing 4-6 X as fast as
animals on land or at sea
Global Statistics
(National Geographic, 2010)
NATIONAL STATISTICS
Out of 573 threatened & endangered species
½ are Freshwater animals
(National Geographic, 2010)
Top 3 causes of Stream Impairments & # of Stream MilesBiologically Impaired = 5,153
Fecal / Bacteria = 4,255
Iron = 3,958
All waters in WV are contaminated with Mercury & PCBs
(WVDEP )
Regional Statistics
WV has 9,500 streams covering 32,000 miles*18,244.3 stream miles are impaired
Holistic Watershed Resource Management
32,278 Stream Miles
32 Major Watershed Basins
2 Catchments:
•Ohio River
•Potomac River
Watershed Approach
to Resource Management
Mississippi Watershed
Watershed Facts• Approx. 1.8 million square miles
• Drains 41% of continental United States
• 31 states & 2 Canadian provinces
• Carries 436,000 tons of sediment per day
• 159 million tons per year
Gulf of Mexico dead zone
Dead Zone FactsCovers 6,000-7,000 square miles
Caused by nutrient enrichment • fertilizers, soil erosion, animal wastes, and
sewage
Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone
Sources of Pollution
Non-point Source Point-source
Morris Creek Watershed Association;
An Example of a Successful Stakeholder-based Watershed Approach
The land, tributaries, and area that drains into Morris Creek situate in
Fayette and Kanawha Counties of WV.
~~ MCWA Bylaw Article I, C
Watershed FactsTotal Length
5.1 miles
Total Area
7.53 sq. miles
4,819 acres
Elv. @ Source
1,800 feet
Elv. @ Mouth
640 feet
Avg. Drop
228 ft./mi.
Up Stream from Morris Creek on the Kanawha River
Montgomery, WV Home of WVU Tech
Down Stream from Morris Creek on the Kanawha River
Morris Creek Citizens
• Most live out side Montgomery city limits
• Had no communication with absentee land owners
• Share a common thread with many rural communities in the WV coal fields.
• Cultural History
• Economic Situation
• Environmental Degradation
Social Situation before the MCWA
COAL
• Generates 60% of U.S. electricity
• Makes up 95% of U.S. fossil energy reserves
• Coal pays 60% of all business taxes in WV
• Since 1863 WV mined 13 billion tons
• 20% of NY power at 13 cents per kw hour
• 99% of WV power at 5 cents “ “ “
Since 1863 WV mined 13 billion tons
Generates 60% of U.S. electricity
King Coal
In 1911, within a 5 mile radius of Montgomery,
26 coal operations employed 15,000 men
Water + Oxygen + Pyrite (gold flecks in sand stone) =
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
E
AMD seep from an abandoned mine
AMD coming from a pipe draining an abandoned mine
Aluminum on Shyler Fork
Open mine portals
Open Dumps
Provided the MCWA with its first challenge and an opportunity to make
a tangible difference in the community
WV Make It Shine Program
161 tons since 2002
TRACKING DOWN SOURCES OF POLLUTION USING THE
WATERSHED APPROACH
Watershed Assessment
6.626.4
6.656.43
5.8 5.8
6.59
6.04
4.46
6.94
5.51
6.916.8 6.75 6.78
4.14
7
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Aci
d
----
pH
----
Base
Monitoring Sites & AML Projects
Sample Sites 1-17
Water Quality
BENTHIC SAMPLING
WVDEP Save Our Streams Program (SOS)
MCWA Monitoring Stations & AMD Project Sites
Possum Hollow
Lower Mainstem
Upper Mainstem
ResultsA stream formerly void of aquatic life, now a
thriving (reproducing?) trout stream.
Only stream in Kanawha Co. currently supporting
three species of trout:
• Brown
• Rainbow
• Brook
MCWA’s Past, Present and Future Home
Civic Engagement The freedom the Athenians wanted was not just a release from
bondage; they wanted political freedom, the right to help decide
their own destiny through active participation in government
~~Woodruff, 2005
Outreach & EducationWhen you engage and educate people in their community about
environmental issues, it’s the first step toward engaging them in a
broader debate and effort—whether it be on a city, state, or
national level.
~~Carol Browner, chair of Audubon’s Board of Directors
Necessities for Environmental Advocacy
We did not inherit the earth from our fathers…
We are borrowing it from our children
John M.S. King
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Environmental Advocate
304-382-8666
Thank You Questions???