Blackwater Canyon

Blackwater Canyon is a rugged, heavily-wooded, eight-mile (13 km) long gorge carved by the Blackwater River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, 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

The Canyon extends from the foot of Blackwater Falls, near the town of Davis, to the confluence of the Blackwater River with Dry Fork (forming the Black Fork), near the town of Hendricks. It is a convert|1000|ft|m|sing=on deep chasm separating Backbone Mountain (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 convert|1250|ft in elevation. (This affords kayakers a whitewater river with Class IV-V+ (upper Blackwater) and Class III-IV (lower Blackwater) rapids).

The land embracing the Canyon represents about convert|6000|acre|km2 of spruce, hemlock and pine upland, second-growth forest. Oak, maple, yellow poplar, and rhododendron also predominate. Black bear inhabit the Canyon, along with white-tail deer, squirrel, and numerous bird species. The Canyon accommodates numbers of rattlesnake dens. Wildflowers (soapwort, jewelweed) abound.

The Western Maryland Railway'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 convert|12.2|mi in extent. Near its northern end it connects with the Allegheny Trail. Descending the Canyon trail, at regular intervals one crosses culverts with picturesque views of tributary cascades: Tub Run at about convert|3|mi|km, Big Run at convert|4|mi|km and Flatrock Run at convert|5.5|mi|km [de Hart, Allen and Bruce Sundquist (2006), "Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide", 8th edition, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Charleston, West Virginia, pp 87-90.] .

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 convert|4|mi|km. [de Hart and Sundquist, "Op. cit."]

History

19th century

The "High Allegheny" region (what is now east-central West Virginia), including Blackwater Canyon, was bypassed by development for many decades as large-scale settlement occurred to its north, south and west while the region itself remained relatively wild. The Canyon first came to widespread public attention in the mid-19th century. In 1853, travel writer Philip Pendleton Kennedy reported in glowing terms on an “expedition” to the remote gorge. [Kennedy, Philip Pendleton, "The Blackwater Chronicle, A Narrative of an Expedition into the Land of Canaan in Randolph County, Virginia", Redfield, New York, 1853.] Two years later, illustrator David Hunter Strother (“Porte Crayon”) wrote, and "Harper's Monthly" published, “The Virginia Canaan” about his adventures in the Blackwater Canyon and surrounding areas. [Strother, David Hunter, "The Virginia Canaan", "Harper's Magazine", 8:18-36, 1855.] For his readers, Strother depicted mountainous vistas of immense spruce and hardwood stands, thick laurels and rhododendrons 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. 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 culverts were constructed. The most impressive of these is located at Big Run. It is about convert|60|ft|m long, convert|25|ft|m wide and convert|30|ft|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 Douglas, Limerock and Coketon, 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 and the Canyon, were clear-cut, and the landscape converted into a tinderbox by the residual slashings. 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 (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. [Chaddon, Pam (2001) “Conserving a Crown Jewel: The Blackwater Canyon Story”, "Wonderful West Virginia ", Vol. 65, No. 3;March 2001.]

During 1943 and '44, the rugged cliffs of the Canyon were utilized (as were those at nearby Seneca Rocks), by the U.S. Army for mountain climbing instruction. This school, part of the West Virginia Maneuver Area, 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 convert|934|acre|km2 park at the head of the Canyon, including the renowned convert|62|ft|m|sing=on 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 recommended the Canyon for National Natural Landmark 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 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 convert|2750|acre|km2|sing=on 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 for purchase of additional land in the Canyon, which may be acquired in the future. [Chaddon, "Op. cit. "]

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 January 2008, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin proposed $5 million as the state’s share for a possible purchase of Blackwater Canyon. The Manchin Administration says it wants to protect the scenic area from development.

References