Soils on steep slopes generally are shallow and have low fertility and high erosion potential. Soils in limestone areas of the Valley and Ridge and over unconsolidated sediments are commonly deeper and more fertile. Ground water occurs primarily in fractures in the sedimentary and crystalline rocks of the basin and in the pore spaces of the unconsolidated sediments and regolith. Natural fractures are most common near the land surface, along valley sides and bottoms, and near the crest of upward folds in the rocks. More water is withdrawn from Lower Pennsylvanian aquifers in the Appalachian Plateaus than from any other unit in the basin.
Ground water provides the domestic water supply of almost all rural residents in the basin.
The liaison committee for the Kanawha-New River Basin study held its first meeting on April 12, 1994. First is understanding the effects of water quality on human use of water resources, including effects from bioaccumulation of toxic substances through aquatic food webs. Second is the lack of basic scientific knowledge of the occurrence, distribution, fate, and biological effects of many contaminants. Third is measurement of the improvement in water quality expected to result from pollution-control regulations. West Virginia has warned citizens against eating fish from some areas in the lower Kanawha River because of contaminants.