Soon, thousands of Scouts will be coming to the New River Gorge to visit the Summit for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree.
And while Scouts are going to be given the opportunity to explore the gorge through all kinds of adventure activities, whitewater rafting is sure to be one of the favorites.
But whitewater sounds a lot better than brown water, right? Yep, we thought so too.
Well, good news. Local and national businesses, along with conservation and government entities, are teaming up with community members to make sure the New River stays clean for generations to come.
“The cleanliness of the water, the quality of the water, relates directly to the quality of our guests’ experiences,” said Mark Lewis, executive director of the West Virginia Professional River Outfitters Association. “And we want our guests and our guides to be rafting on the cleanest water possible.”
3 Ways Were’re Cleaning The New
- Picking Up — Last year, 860 people pulled out 1,650 tires and 45,000 pounds of trash from the entire watershed.
- Infrastructure Repair — Many organizations are working with towns and cities surrounding the river to update and replace much of the aging sewer pipes and treatment systems.
- Water Quality Monitoring — Government agencies and citizen groups are regularly monitoring pollutants in the streams and how the water quality changes over time.
These groups are making sure the New River never gets so dirty that you can’t experience a face full of whitewater without second thoughts.
I believe a round of applause is in order for all of the folks working for a cleaner river, don’t you?
Like? Share it, and unlock a video of some Scouts cleaning up the river. Have you ever helped clean up your local park or river? What’d you do?