CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – The 2025 West Virginia Watershed Symposium was held at Battlers Knob in Philippi on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Representatives from 17 watershed groups, as well as various watershed partners and supporters, attended the Symposium.
The WV Watershed Symposium is a biennial event hosted by the WV Watershed Network to provide resources for watershed groups and recognize their efforts and accomplishments. The event also provides an opportunity for watershed volunteers to meet, learn from each other, and engage in statewide collaborative efforts. The statewide event featured restoration success stories, a legislative update from Jennie Smith of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, and presentations on funding, communications, and the history of the watershed movement in West Virginia.
The Symposium concluded with five watershed groups being honored for their work based on community nominations. The following groups were awarded $1,000 each:
● Headwater Hero Award: Buckhannon River Watershed Association & Save the Tygart Watershed Association
● Stream Smarts Award: Piney Creek Watershed Association
● Watershed Guardian Award: Greenbrier River Watershed Association
● Restoration Rockstar Award: Paint Creek Watershed Association
● Rookie of the Year Award: Twelvepole Rising
The Symposium and awards were sponsored by The Nature Conservancy (WV), West Virginia American Water, West Virginia 319 Program, ML/RD Peace & Justice, Natural Resources Conservation Service, West Virginia Conservation Agency, Northern Panhandle Conservation District, Capitol Conservation District, and the Tygarts Valley Conservation District.
West Virginia Watershed Network https://wvwatershednetwork.com/ Mission: The West Virginia Watershed Network (WVWN) comprises nonprofits as well as state and federal agencies that support the work of watershed groups to unify their communities and protect, restore, celebrate, and educate about their watersheds.
For more WVDEP news and information, go to www.dep.wv.gov. Also, connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter, Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/depwv/, and find us on YouTube by searching “Environment Matters.”
