Water Quality The primary concern for natural resource management activities in the New River is the protection of the water resources. The quality of the surface water resources of the New River has been studied in recent years by both the State and park Resource Management staff. Data from these studies suggest the presence of metals, organic contaminants and an influx of raw sewage. These are common in many tributaries of the New River. Metal contamination, resulting from mining activities and or urban surface flows, are present in most tributaries, showing pronounced values. Other sources of pollutants within park boundaries include unlined landfills, illegal dumps, pesticide sprayed directly into the New River, agricultural runoff, road salt runoff, direct discharge of residential sewage, inadequate municipal sewage treatment facilities, recreation waste streams, and industrial discharges.
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Pollution of rural streams by fecal coliform bacteria is a widespread issue. Since fecal coliform bacteria live in the gut of warm-blooded animals, fecal contamination of rural streams can come not only from humans, but also from livestock, pets, and wildlife. Several research efforts have been made to understand the role of these various potential sources of bacteria. One of these studies was conducted in New River Gorge by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service. The results indicate that human caused wastewater pollution is present in each of the four New River Gorge tributaries sampled. The report also found other sources of contamination in some streams, and noted the need for additional research to increase the findings and refine the methods.
Mining
Many areas within New River and Bluestone National River have been impacted by either strip or deep mining for coal, as well as by oil and gas operations. Many of these sites were abandoned prior to the 1977 Surface Mining Reclamation Act (SMCRA), and are completely or partially unclaimed. Since 1987, the NPS and the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) have worked together to mitigate the most severe safety hazards identified. Three projects have closed 47 portals adjacent to trails and primitive roads, fenced three major mining structures, controlled mine drainage, eliminated highwalls, and stabilized landslide areas. Five sites with multiple openings were closed in 1992 and represented the final funding on the OSM park reclamation project. The park is working with the State Reclamation program to help ensure program continuity and to further extend protection for the public and the environment.
Solution By decreasing the amount of waste that is distributed into the rivers and lakes by petitioning the factories and companies who actively do this. We could go out and search for and hunt down the factories causing these issues. We also would want to regularly test the waters to monitor the levels of pollution going in to the rivers and lakes. We also could arrange large volunteer groups who could together take a day to simply clean up the rivers and lakes to ensure a cleaner, healthier environment.
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