TEAMWORK BRINGS SUCCESS
Our volunteers have moved mountains of trash in our efforts to clean up our watershed thanks to our local business partners W. Q. Watters Company, Walker Machinery/Walker Express and G.R. Marker & Sons. The WV Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), the City of South Charleston, and the Trinity Christian Church have provided great support, and our members have provided thousands of man hours. Here's a list of our awards and recognitions.
2000 - WV Watershed Network's "City Slicker" award for urban watershed work. We have also been nominated for awards in habitat improvement, water quality and outreach and education.
2003 - Stream Partners Award from West Virginia Watershed Network for outstanding work in forming partnerships to achieve our goals.
2008 - "Stream Partners Award" for our outstanding work in forming partnerships to achieve our goals.
2011 WV Make It Shine Clean Community Award from the West Virginia Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (R.E.A.P.)
2012 - Water Quality Monitoring Award.
2014 - WV Department of Environmental Protection's award for Education and Community Involvement.
2014,- Natural Partners Award at the annual statewide West Virginia Watershed Network Celebration at the state Capitol.
2015 - Award for Positive Purposeful Partnerships from the West Virginia Watershed Network, at the annual Watershed Celebration at Hawks Nest State Park.
2017 - WV Watershed Network "Scouting the Creek" Award for work on education with BSA Troop 152 - Soil & Water Conservation Merit Badge and water quality monitoring
2018 - WV Watershed Network Award in recognition for being the capitol city's backyard watershed group working on education and cleaning up trash
HomeWATER MONITORING NEWS 2023
As part of our mission, members work all year to monitor the health of our stream. Thanks to our scientist volunteers, our grant-funded data loggers have been collecting water quality information from multiple locations in the watershed. The loggers and other equipment were purchased thanks to grants from West Virginia American Water and the WV Stream Partners program. This information helps us determine where problems exist so that appropriate action can be taken. The data is added to the Davis Creek water quality records at the WVDEP for future reference and comparison.
Conductivity, a significant factor in water quality, is measured by the loggers and hands-on sampling. High conductivity is not good for aquatic life. The lowest conductivity was found in the main stem of the creek in Kanawha State Forest. The highest was recorded in Kanawha Fork. Middle Fork and the lower main stem of the creek have levels in between.
Fish communities were also sampled, with 21 species collected from two sites above and below the former KSF pond. The most common fish were creek chubs and Rainbow Darters. The most common game fish/predator was the Green Sunfish, followed by Bluegills, Rock Bass and Smallmouth Bass.
OUR SUMMER INTERN - JUSTIN WALKER
Monitoring continues in 2023, thanks to funding from the WV Stream Partners Program. This season we have a science student intern from WVU helping with our work. He and his Scout troop volunteered in our annual spring cleanups, and he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He is pursuing a degree in Environmental Science.
We sponsor educational events to promote understanding of aquatic life and the importance of protecting stream ecosystems.
DAVIS CREEK WATERSHED
ASSOCIATION
