WEST VIRGINIA RIVERS COALITION WATERSHED CONNECTION:
Watershed Resources.

Networking:

West Virginia Watershed Network Email Listserve WV Watershed Network is a place for watershed associations and agencies and other "interested members" to share information, post inquiries & replies, announcements of events & conferences & workshops & volunteer work days, etc. Anything related to watershed-scale planning is fair game. The idea is for groups to not have to reinvent the wheel, and to increase knowledge & capacity for success.
To subscribe: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WV-WSA

West Virginia Conservation Agency - Conservation in the Mountain State
www.wvca.us

Stream Partner information for people that are interested in improving the quality of life in and around their stream or watershed. www.wvca.us/stream.cfm

Watershed Network is a group of state and federal agencies,as well as nonprofit groups, committed to providing resources for watershed managment in West Virginia. www.wvca.us/wvwn/

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) - Many watershed activities and funding.oportunities. www.dep.state.wv.us

Eastern Coal Regional Roundtable (ECRR) -
A helping hand to environmental grassroots groups in Appalachia's Coal Country.
www.easterncoal.org

Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team (ACCWT)
In a region devastated by the environmental legacy of pre-regulatory coal mining and suffering from economic decline, the Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team (ACCWT) helps bring hope to rural communities by building local organizational capacity and partnerships. The Team coordinates a dynamic, successful group of 55 OSM/VISTA volunteers who live and work in Appalachian host communities to promote social and environmental change at the grassroots level. http://www.accwt.org

West Virginia Enviro Network - Open dialog about West Virginia environmental problems. http://www.groups.google.com/group/WVENVIRO.
Stream Pollution Enforcement:

Contact the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection, Enforcement Division. You can register an anonymous citizen complaint online at http://www.wvdep.org/item.cfm?ssid=13&ss1id=630
It is our understanding they have a certain time period to investigate a complaint; however, if it anonymous, it may be more difficult to follow up on any actions.

If you wanted to call DEP (which we recommend both online complaint and calling), the water enforcement contact for that area is on DEP’s Web site at: http://www.wvdep.org/item.cfm?ssid=13&ss1id=914

Rhod Mills (Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral). Phone: 304-822-7266. Email: rmills@wvdep.org

If it is agricultural-related (i.e. cows, chickens), getting something done may be particularly difficult. Depending on the number of animals, the owner may be required to have a permit for the operation, but we have not heard of any cattle-related facilities in West Virginia that fall under such a permit. But—that would be a question for DEP. We do not know how many permits in West Virginia are issued for large feedlots, known as concentrated animal feedlots (CAFOS).

You can search permitted dischargers online by county at: http://www2.wvdep.org/WebApp/_dep/search/Permits/OWR/OWRP
mtsearchpage.cfm?office=OWR

Unfortunately, you cannot search by watershed. So, if you know the quad map of your area that would help. When you do the search by county, a bunch of permits will pop up. If you click the number of a permit you want to see, scroll down and there will be a link that will show a map.

You can call DEP or do a Freedom of Information Act request via email requesting a list of all discharge permits above your property. To ask for this information, contact:

Michelle Brenner
WV Department of Environmental Protection
Water and Waste Management
Permits Section
601 57th Street, SE
Charleston, WV 25304-2345
mbrenner@wvdep.org

If you are having trouble getting information, or want to ask if perhaps someone already knows what the problem is, call the DEP regional office.
They are listed here: http://www.wvdep.org/Item.cfm?ssid=11&SS1ID=542

If you still feel like you are not getting answers, etc., call the
Charleston DEP Office, Division of Water and Waste Management: (304) 926-0495.

You may have to explain your situation several times. And I usually throw out a disclaimer for the DEP folks, they are generally understaffed and cover very large areas. It may be a day, perhaps a week, before someone gets back to you. Many of these folks are out in the field daily.