World Wetlands Day 2001: USA
Ground-breaking Ceremony in West Virginia
I am the Director of Stream Monitoring / Analysis for the Heizer / Manila Watershed Organization, a non-profit grassroots organization working to "Save The Environment For Our Children" (our slogan).
We have several Wetland areas within and around our watershed and would like to bring awareness to their importance. I began a wetland pilot project in 1999, enhancing a small natural wetland using only native plants and weeding out destructive plants.
We have applied for and are receiving an Office of Surface Mining grant to design and construct "manmade" wetland at one site. I began the project to treat Acid Mine Drainage in our area and have shown impressive results. Using my data from the pilot wetland we are hoping to improve the water quality of our streams.
I should note that we have approximately 20 miles of streams and of that total approximately 8 miles are "dead," as they will not support aquatic life.
The pilot area was "dead," however, after the first growing season, the wetland is showing signs of various macroinvertabrae as well as mammals and waterfowl entering the area.
I intend to have a "Ground Breaking Ceremony" on February 2, 2001, to announce the new project. Please forward the Ramsar poster set to me at:
Bobby L. Bonnett, Jr.
Rt.1 Box 216, Manila Creek Road,
Poca, WV 25159 USA
