Eight Rivers Supports Study of the Upper Elk River for Classification under the National Wild and Scenic River Act

Letter submitted by Eight Rivers Safe Development to Pocahontas County Commission who voted unanimously on Feb 3rd to support placing the Upper Elk River under study for Wild and Scenic classification.

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[PDF of letter]

Eight Rivers Safe Development, Inc.
P.O. Box 114
Cass, WV 24927

February 2, 2009

This letter is to document Eight Rivers Safe Development, Inc. support for the proposal to place the Upper Elk River under study for classification under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

The Upper Elk River is truly a unique resource in West Virginia—and the United States. The upper reaches of the headwaters streams flow across karst (limestone)—in fact, the bed of Old Field Fork, Big Spring Fork and the Upper Elk River is bedrock limestone. This results in unique hydrology, geology and biology as the headwater streams sink into the limestone and flow underground in caves and re-emerge as large springs which feed the world class fishery of the Upper Elk which includes reproducing wild populations of brook, rainbow and brown trout—the only place in West Virginia where this exists.

The Upper Elk River itself sinks and flows underground for over 5 miles—of which only 2500 ft has been seen in the many caves of the area. The underground Elk River has been and remains a mystery and attracts recreational and scientific cavers from all over the United States and the world.

Eight Rivers Safe Development has participated—on two occasions—on trips to Washington, DC to lobby for consideration of the Upper Elk River for study as a Wild and Scenic River. Our presentation to our Washington representatives included a photo tour of the caves and springs of the area. The senators and congressmen were duly impressed with the rare beauty of the underground Elk. Pictures of the caves and underground streams/waterfalls of the Upper Elk can be viewed at our website—8riverssafedevelopment.com

The Elk River deserves and needs to be protected from uninformed development. Not exclusive to development but rather development that acknowledges and protects this tremendous resource for future generations—both as a recreational / scenic resource but also as a water resource. There is truly nothing like the Upper Elk River anywhere else in the U.S. We sometimes take it for granted that places such as this exist elsewhere—they do not.

Sincerely,
George R. Phillips
President
Eight Rivers Safe Development, Inc.