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 Support for Watershed Groups

The implementation of water quality improvement projects in West Virginia is a coordinated effort of state, federal, and local government working in cooperation with citizen groups and other NGOs who are passionate about environmental issues and dedicated to improving the quality of life within their watershed. WVDEP coordinates these efforts through the Division of Water and Waste Management, Nonpoint Source Program, 106 and Stream Partners.

Components of this Cooperative Effort Includes

• Watershed Association
  Watershed groups (WGs) are dedicated groups of individuals and organizations, usually volunteers, who represent the interest of the community and the environment with a mission, goals, and plan for implementing water quality improvement projects, enhancing habitat, developing recreational activities and informing their neighbors of the importance of natural resource protection.

• Stream Partners
  West Virginia's Stream Partners Program is a cooperative effort amoung multiple state agencies and is housed within the WVDEP's Division of Water and Waste Management.

• Basin Coordinators
  Basin Coordinators (BCs) help local watershed restoration and protection efforts become reality. These experts are responsible for organizing local efforts to implement water quality improvement projects.

• Project Teams
  A Project Team is a group of people who are interested in the health and protection of their streams and watershed. They come together at a local level to plan and implement water quality improvement projects, to educate themselves and their neighbors about how to protect our resources, and to make a positive impact on the quality of life within their community.

Additional Resources

• WV Save Our Streams
• Description: The mission of WV Save Our Streams (SOS) is to promote the preservation and restoration of our state's waters by providing an understanding of their ecological integrity. This mission is accomplished by conducting workshops, training volunteers on how to monitor their local wadeable streams and rivers.

• Nonpoint Source Program
• Description: West Virginia's Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program coordinates multi-agency and non-government organizations efforts to address nonpoint pollution.

• WV Conservation Agency
• Description: The West Virginia Conservation Agency aims to provide for and promote the protection and conservation of West Virginia's soil, land, water and related resources for the health, safety and general welfare of the state's citizens.

• Watershed Group Videos