Morris Creek Watershed Inc.

We did not inherit the earth from our fathers, We are barrowing  it from our Children

The Morris creek watershed is located approximately 25 miles southeast of Charleston, WV near the town of Montgomery on Morris Creek, a tributary of the upper Kanawha River.  The watershed spans a little over 5 miles, north to south, and covers approximately seven and a half squares miles.   The elevation at the source of the drainage is approximately one thousand eight hundred feet above mean sea level and drops to about six hundred forty feet above sea level at the mouth where it joins the Kanawha River.  The average drop is two hundred twenty eight feet per linear mile across the watershed.

Many years ago Morris creek supported aquatic life such as crawfish, minnows, lizards, frogs, pockets of pan fish, and a variety of small aquatic creatures that resided in our stream bed.  Untill reciently, our stream was dead of aquatic life. Many areas have been, some still are, swamps (or vats) of yellow ooze or white from aluminum precipitating on the streambed.  Our stream has been an unsafe place for local children as they play.  A once open landfill containing many hazardous materials has been left in our backdoor and seeps contaminated leechate through our neighborhood. 

Contaminated drainage is negatively affecting the health and well being of our watershed as, over the past several years, our community has been plagued by increasingly high cancer death rates, far exceeding the norm.   Our local property has been de-valued by these leftover land scars, abandoned mine drainage, severely stained streambeds, and unnecessary eyesores within the community.  Improper reclamation practices from past mining activities are impeding future economic growth potential of our local area.

In early fall of 2001 several grass root citizens took the initiative to organize and build back the environment that once was.   On March 21, 2002 the Morris Creek Watershed Association, Inc. (MCWA) was officially formed and consisted of four officers, twenty-two directors, and a total of about forty-five total members.   The MCWA’s principal place of business is currently located at 328 Morris Drive, Montgomery, WV, 25136. We lie on the border of Fayette and Kanawha Countys, West Virginia.  The association’s mailing address is PO Box 927, Montgomery, WV 25136.

The MCWA is a non-profit organization made up of citizens from the local area joining together in an effort to protect and improve the Morris Creek watershed for the benefit of all citizens.  Our mission is to improve the safety of the Morris Creek watershed, restore it’s natural beauty, and provide recreational opportunities.  Our goals are to return the Morris Creek watershed to a safe environment for all residents while restoring the water quality to a condition capable of supporting both aquatic life and local recreational activities.

Today, the MCWA is an active and thriving organization with several projects to its credit as it continues building a better tomorrow today…. one drop at a time.