Howdy from Preston County, West Virginia! I was so pleased to visit the Friends of the Cheat to learn more about their efforts to improve the economy of Appalachia. The Cheat River is a major tributary to the Monongahela River and was the site of a major mine blowout in 1994, where hundreds of gallons of severely polluted water turned the river red with sulfur and iron.
It has been 19 years since Friends of the Cheat has worked to improve the watershed, and since last year, they have expanded to improve safe recreational access to the river with the Upper Cheat Water Trail. The AmeriCorps VISTA working with Friends of the Cheat showed me how to plan a trip on the River using a map, and I got to see the famous river myself, it was so much fun, I can't wait to visit again when the Water Trail officially opens, so many people are going to visit and bring tourism dollars to the watershed.
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