Blackwater Canyon
Encyclopedia
Blackwater River (West Virginia)
The Blackwater River is a river in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. Via the Black Fork, it is a principal tributary of the Cheat River. Via the Cheat, the Monongahela and the Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River and drains an area of...
in the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
of eastern West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, USA. For many years, it has been the object of controversy as environmental activists have contended with industrial (power, timber, development) interests over its ultimate status.
Description
Davis, West Virginia
Davis is a town in Tucker County, West Virginia, along the Blackwater River. The population was 624 at the 2000 census.-History:Davis was named either for Henry Gassaway Davis, or for his family generally....
, to the confluence of the Blackwater River with Dry Fork
Dry Fork (Cheat River)
The Dry Fork is a tributary of the Black Fork of the Cheat River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia in the United States. Via the Black Fork, the Cheat, and the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The Dry Fork flows for much of its...
(forming the Black Fork
Black Fork (Cheat River)
The Black Fork is a principal tributary of the Cheat River in eastern West Virginia in the United States. It is a short stream, about four miles in length,The American Rivers Outstanding Rivers List, Second Edition, May 1991. Compiled and edited by Matthew H. Huntington and John D. Echeverria. ...
), near the town of Hendricks
Hendricks, West Virginia
Hendricks is a town in Tucker County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 319 at the 2000 census. The Blackwater River and the Dry Fork join at Hendricks to form the Black Fork, a principal tributary of the Cheat River.-History:...
. It is a 1000 feet (304.8 m) deep chasm separating Backbone Mountain
Backbone Mountain
Backbone Mountain is a ridge of the Allegheny Mountains of the central Appalachian Mountain Range. It is situated in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland and forms a portion of the Eastern Continental Divide...
(to the northwest) from Canaan Mountain (to the southeast). Over its entire course, from falls (3,000 ft/915 m) to confluence (1,750 ft/534 m), the river drops about 1250 feet (381 m) in elevation. (This affords kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ers a whitewater river with Class IV-V+
International Scale of River Difficulty
The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required associated with the section of river...
(upper Blackwater) and Class III-IV
International Scale of River Difficulty
The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required associated with the section of river...
(lower Blackwater) rapids). Tributary streams — notably Pendleton Creek and Shay's Run — have formed hanging valleys high above the Canyon floor.
The land embracing the Canyon represents about 6000 acres (24.3 km²) of spruce, hemlock and pine upland, second-growth
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
forest. Oak, maple, yellow poplar, and rhododendron also predominate. Black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
inhabit the Canyon, along with white-tail deer, squirrel, and numerous bird species. The Canyon accommodates numbers of rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
Crotalus horridus, the timber rattlesnake, is a species of venomous pitviper found in the eastern United States. This is the only rattlesnake species in most of the populous northeastern United States. No subspecies are currently recognized....
dens. Wildflowers (soapwort
Soapwort
Common Soapwort is a vespertine flower, and a common perennial plant from the carnation family . Other common names are Bouncing Bet and Sweet William; locally it is simply "the Soapwort" although there are about 20 species of soapworts altogether.The scientific name Saponaria is derived from the...
, jewelweed) abound.
The Western Maryland Railway
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
's Black Fork Grade, which once ran the length of the Canyon, has been converted into a hiking trail, the Blackwater Canyon Railroad Grade Trail (or USFS Trail 115). In total — including before entering and after leaving the Canyon — it is 12.2 miles (19.6 km) in extent. Near its northern end it connects with the Allegheny Trail
Allegheny Trail
The Allegheny Trail is a hiking trail that passes through the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It is the longest named trail in the state ....
. Descending the Canyon trail, at regular intervals one crosses culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s with picturesque views of tributary cascades: Tub Run at about 3 miles (4.8 km), Big Run at 4 miles (6.4 km) and Flatrock Run at 5.5 miles (8.9 km).
Canyon trails on both sides of the river lead down to several sections of spectacular rapids. In addition, on the northwestern canyon rim is the Canyon Rim Trail (USFS Trail 117), accessed by Canyon Rim Road, with its Big Run Overlook. Intermediate between rim and rapids is Limerock Trail (USFS Trail 142), which descends gradually into the Canyon over about 4 miles (6.4 km).
19th century
David Hunter Strother
David Hunter Strother was a successful 19th century American magazine illustrator and writer, popularly known by his pseudonym, "Porte Crayon" .-Early life:...
(“Porte Crayon”) wrote, and Harper's Monthly published, “The Virginia Canaan” about his adventures in the Blackwater Canyon and surrounding areas. For his readers, Strother depicted mountainous vistas of immense spruce and hardwood stands, thick laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Kalmia latifolia, commonly called Mountain-laurel or Spoonwood, is a species of flowering plant in the blueberry family, Ericaceae, that is native to the eastern United States. Its range stretches from southern Maine south to northern Florida, and west to Indiana and Louisiana. Mountain-laurel is...
s and rhododendron
Rhododendron maximum
Rhododendron maximum — also called great rhododendron, great laurel, rosebay rhododendron, American rhododendron or big rhododendron — is a species of Rhododendron native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia south to northern Alabama.-Description:R. maximum is an evergreen shrub growing to 4...
s and an untamed canyon carved by a wild, raging river.
In 1881, coal and timber magnate (and former U.S. Senator) Henry Gassaway Davis and his West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway Company laid first tracks in eastern West Virginia. By 1884, the railroad had extended along the North Branch of the Potomac River to the North Fork of the Blackwater River at the newly formed town of Thomas
Thomas, West Virginia
Thomas is a city in Tucker County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 452 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was named for Thomas Beall Davis....
. In 1888, Davis decided to continue expanding this line southward from Thomas through the rugged Blackwater Canyon to Hendricks. This astonishing feat, accomplished over the course of a year, required excavating road cuts sometimes hundreds of feet high into Backbone Mountain. To allow the rail to traverse several deep ravines and rushing tributaries, a number of gigantic stone archways and culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s were constructed. The most impressive of these is located at Big Run. It is about 60 feet (18.3 m) long, 25 feet (7.6 m) wide and 30 feet (9.1 m) high. Several wrecks and derailments occurred in the vicinity of the Big Run culvert, owing to the sharpness of the curve that trains had to negotiate at this point.
20th century
The railroad, which was taken over in 1905 by the Western Maryland Railroad, brought industry and expansion to the area. Along the line came towns, such as DouglasDouglas, Tucker County, West Virginia
Douglas is an unincorporated community on the North Fork Blackwater River in Tucker County, West Virginia, USA. Originally known as Albert, the community's name was changed to Douglas by an official Board on Geographic Names decision in 1965. Its post office, however, continued to use the name...
, Limerock and Coketon
Coketon, West Virginia
Coketon is an unincorporated community in Tucker County, West Virginia, USA. Coketon lies at the confluence of Snyder Run and the North Fork Blackwater River south of the town of Thomas....
, as the coal mines, coke ovens, and timber industry brought an influx of workers.
Over the next two decades, Davis's interests prospered, but at the cost of devastating environmental damage. Much of Tucker County, including Canaan Valley
Canaan Valley
Canaan Valley is an oval, bowl-like upland valley in northeastern Tucker County, West Virginia, USA. Within it are extensive wetlands and the headwaters of the Blackwater River which spills out of the valley at Blackwater Falls...
and the Canyon, were clear-cut, and the landscape converted into a tinderbox by the residual slashings
Slash (logging)
Slash, or slashings, is a forestry term that refers to coarse and fine woody debris generated during logging operations or through wind, snow or other natural forest disturbances. Slash generated during logging operations may increase fire hazard and some North American states have passed laws...
. By 1910, fires swept over the wasteland, often burning continuously from spring until the first snows. In 1914, with the Canyon virtually denuded of standing trees, the ground burned continually for 6 months. When the fires subsided, thin mineral soil and bare rock were all that remained. Uncontrollable soil erosion and flooding further degraded and depopulated the region. Large scale clear-cut timbering in the Canyon has not occurred again since 1914.
Establishment of the Monongahela National Forest
Monongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally-owned land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.The MNF includes some...
(MNF) in 1920, and its anti-erosion and forest restoration projects, brought new hope to the region. Owned at the time by West Virginia Power and Transmission Company (later called Allegheny Power Systems) and slated for an elaborate hydroelectric project, the south side of the Canyon was excluded from this large-scale preservation effort. Yet, protected by the adjacent newly established public lands, the Canyon began to recover, as healthy second growth forests regenerated.
During 1943 and '44, the rugged cliffs of the Canyon were utilized (as were those at nearby Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks is a large crag and local landmark in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, USA. It is easily visible and accessible along West Virginia Route 28 near U.S. Route 33 in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest...
) by the U.S. Army for mountain climbing instruction. This school, part of the West Virginia Maneuver Area
West Virginia Maneuver Area
The West Virginia Maneuver Area was a vast, five-county training ground in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia used by the U.S. Army during World War II to train soldiers in low-altitude mountain operations...
, prepared soldiers for combat in the mountainous terrain of Europe.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, various leases and donations to the state from the power company resulted in the procurement and expansion of the Blackwater Falls State Park (BFSP), which was established in 1937 as a 934 acres (3.8 km²) park at the head of the Canyon, including the renowned 62 feet (18.9 m) falls. Plans for the damming of the Canyon and its river never materialized and recreationalists were given greater access to the entire Canyon area, but for many years the lower Canyon remained in a state of limbo, neither permanently protected nor developed and exploited by industry.
In 1970, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
recommended the Canyon for National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
status. The railroad became inactive in 1983 and was designated a hiking trail six years later. In 1995, the U.S. Forest Service recommended the Blackwater for Wild and Scenic River status. For the next two years, The Conservation Fund
The Conservation Fund
The Conservation Fund is an American environmental non-profit with a dual charter to pursue both economic development and environmental preservation.The Fund partners with community, government and corporate leaders to fulfill their conservation priorities...
negotiated aggressively with the power company for public ownership of the Canyon by the MNF. However, in 1997, Allegheny Power Systems rejected their offer (of $3.5 million) and sold its 2750 acres (11.1 km²) tract to a private developer (for $5 million). This developer subsequently resold this holding to Allegheny Wood Products (AWP), an international exporter of Appalachian hardwoods. Initially, AWP began timbering the lower reaches of the canyon and staked out several development sites. When activists expressed concern for the ecological, historical, and recreational losses to be incurred, AWP began to work with government agencies on preserving the natural integrity of the area.
In 2000, the state purchased the famous Lindy Point overlook as an addition to BFSP, providing public access to the most scenic overlook along the Canyon rim. AWP also granted the state right of first refusal
Right of first refusal
Right of first refusal is a contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transaction with a third party...
for purchase of additional land in the Canyon, which may be acquired in the future.
Current status
Today, outside of the BFSP, about half of the land embracing the Canyon is owned by AWP and about half is owned by the MNF. The AWP has proposed selective cutting on its land, but this has been impeded by environmental activists who propose a protected natural status for the entire Canyon area. In addition AWP requested that the Forest Service grant them an easement to utilize the former railroad grade as a logging haul road.- In January 2008, West Virginia Governor Joe ManchinJoe ManchinJoseph "Joe" Manchin III is the junior United States Senator representing West Virginia. Manchin, a Democrat, was Governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010...
proposed $5 million as the state’s share for a possible purchase of Blackwater Canyon. The Manchin Administration said it wanted to protect the scenic area from development.
- On July 30, 2010 the Forest Service issued a Record of Decision (RD) with regard to AWP's request for an easement to the Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail. The RD states that AWP may have access to the trail on a temporary, as needed, basis to perform maintenance and ensure the safety of trail users and emergency vehicles. It also states that it is not to be utilized for any purposes related to logging.