CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The Harrison County Commission has rejected a sales agreement proposed by the Clarksburg Water Board that would transfer three dams along the West Fork River slated for demolition over to the county.
Commission President Ron Watson described the terms in the agreement as “unacceptable” and a letter was approved Thursday to be sent to the Water Board informing them of their decision.
“The Commission has not accepted the Land Owner’s Agreement and we want to put it back to the Water Board,” he said. “We’ll do the Land Owner’s Agreement as long as there isn’t any stipulations with other entities that we have to live up to.”
Months before sending the sales agreement to the commission, the Water Board entered into an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the Highland, Two-Lick and Milford Dams and restore the river to its natural state.
Within the agreement is a section that states if the agreement is to come to an end, both parties must agree to back away –which the federal agency has indicated it has plans of doing at this time.
“The process is moving along. We’re spending money based on a signed agreement that we had with the Clarksburg Water Board,” said John Schmidt, a field representative with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. “The Clarksburg Water Board threw us a curve by agreeing to give the dams away [to the county]. So, there’s a lot of confusion.”
A public forum was held last week at the Harrison County Recreation Complex as a chance for both sides of the issue to speak their peace.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife brought their experts to talk about the project, along with representatives from American Rivers, the state DNR, district biologists and stream engineers that will be involved with the demolition project and the Clubshell Mussel restoration project.
“My goal is to make is to make it as first rate a restoration job that everybody’s proud of that will benefit the community and will benefit the water quality and the fisheries,” Schmidt said.
Those opposing the demolition project –including the county commissioners– say there is no need to remove the dams, that they don’t trust what the federal agency says.
Concerned citizens along the river and a group known as the Guardians of the West Fork have hoped the county commission would take possession of the dams and help fund the project to renovate them for safe passage and recreational purposes.
However, Watson said they will not take any action with the Water Board until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is removed from the equation.
“We’ll take the dams, but we want them unconditionally.”
Representatives from the federal agency believe they can begin the demolition project as soon as all the permits are approved, which they expect to be sometime this fall.
Watson said Thursday the commission may explore other methods of taking over the dams.