The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-01-30

: Declaring that the proposed water
power development of the West
Virginia Power and Transmission
Company will leave dry stream bed
in many sections of the headwaters
of the Cheat River watershed and will
divert the streams to such an extent
as to destroy practically all of the
scenic beauty of that rugged area and
forever destroy the "fisherman's par
adise," Kenneth A. Reid, fishing edi-
tor of the National Sportsman Mag
izine, has directed letter to the West
Virginia Public Service Commission,
setting forth many conclusions, ar
rived at by a study of the topo-
graphical maps and the announced
plan for the development.
The application for permits for the
gigantic water-power Development
which it has been declared will extend
over a period of about 10 years and
will mean an outlay Of approximately
II million dollars, is now before the
Public Service Commission and hear
ing on the application has been set
for February.
Has National Reputation
Mr.. Reid who is sportsman of
national reputation says he has en-
joyed the fishing in West Virginia for
many years and adds that the scenery
and sport is about all Of the natural
attractiveness the state has left. He
adds that if such Development was
necessary because Of any great de-
mand for additional power in West
Virginia, the step would be somewhat
excusable but under the circumstan-
ces he urges the commission to give
the whole matter more than ordinary
study before granting such wide and
sweeping privileges.
Mr.. Reid directed letter of gen
eral protest to the commission some
weeks ago and now follows it with
a specific protest showing what the
results of certain parts of the de-
velopment will be.
West Virginia Public Service Com
mission,
"Under date of December 20, 1929,
I addressed letter to your commits
sion regarding the fourteen hydro
electric projects of the power inter-
tests in the Cheat River Watershed.
In that letter, 1 attempted to point
out that certain of these proposed de-
velopments were inimical to the pub
lies interests, in that they would SER
iously impair, and in some cases,
completely destroy natural assets of
the state of West Virginia, that are
of outstanding value to the citizens of
the state. In at least one case, that
of the Blackwater River Falls and
Gorge, you have natural asset that
is so outstanding as to be of national
Importance, as can be easily verified
almost any Sunday during the sum-
mer by noting the variety of out of
state license plates on the hundreds,
and sometimes thousands Of cars that
drive in to the falls.
"Since my first letter was written,
I have read the press notice, under
date of January 9, 1880, of the hear
ing to be held before the Public
Service Commission in Charleston on
February II, at ten o'clock, which
gives considerable more detail con-
corning the project. After checking
these proposed developments on the
Typographical maps Of the state, I
find that the application is very COM
prehensive in its scope, in fact so
comprehensive that it covers every
sizeable stream, in the entire Cheat
River watershed, from the extreme
head at Spruce, on the Shavers Fork,
to the present Lake Lynn reservoir
near the mouth.
Five Projects Cited
GAS I have previously stated, the
majority Of these projects will not, as
I see them, adversely affects the
public, but five of them, covering
three important branches of the Cheat
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