Stewardship Opportunities

Water Trail Stewardship Program

The Buckhannon River Watershed Association and Save the Tygart Watershed Association are launching the Water Trail Stewardship Program to get more people involved in promoting and protecting our local rivers. The Stewardship Program will focus on developing and raising awareness of the proposed 45-mile Buckhannon & Tygart Valley River Water Trail, a recreational route that flows from Sago in Upshur County to Arden in Barbour County. The BTV Water Trail includes 30 miles of the Buckhannon River and 15 miles of the Tygart Valley River.

The Stewardship Program will encourage conservation and restoration of the Water Trail while providing recreational opportunities to ensure that the river is maintained and cared for by the people that use it. This Stewardship Program showcases our responsibility to care for the environment. We are not just a group of paddlers helping with the trail, but we are looking after the river itself.

Every time people get on the water, this is where stewardship begins. Through recreation, people develop a relationship with the river and recognize the value of clean water. Once people have this special experience of floating on the water, watching the birds fly overhead, and hearing the water splash while turtles or otters play, we hope people will be inspired to protect the river.

The Stewards Program is a fully supported volunteer program, where volunteers commit to serving for at least one year. We accept new Stewards in January of each year, and volunteers commit to serving January - November. All volunteers will receive training on a variety of topics: Non-Violent Communication, Environmental Stewardship, Watershed Ecology, River Rescue and Safety, Leave No Trace, and others. We envision this Stewards Program to be about building relationships. We assume that anyone using the Water Trail loves the river just as much as we do, and we are here to educate and remind folks to take care of this special place. We want every experience on our Water Trail to be a positive experience. Access to the river is a privilege, and each user should practice responsible recreation and stewardship principles when visiting. Our Volunteers will play a key role by organizing community paddles, raising awareness of the Water Trail, giving public talks on recommended sections to paddle, and more.