The coal camps of West Virginia are experiencing a
Water Crisis
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Welcome to the majestic mountains of West Virginia’s coal camps. We love this land and hope you will, too. From these hills, generations of coal mining families have kept on the lights in America and provided the steel for our country’s expansive infrastructure. However, 150 years of intensive mining have caused damage to our waterways. Thousands of people have no access to safe water.
We need your help.
Photo courtesy of Maria Gunnoe from MotherJonesWV.org
There’s something in the water…
Visitors to our majestic and ancient mountains may notice that some of the creeks and streams in our hills and hollers are frothy, oily, green, black, bright orange, or have a strong odor.
Beneath our trails and campgrounds lie tens of thousands of abandoned mines dating back more than 200 years. Unfortunately, this legacy has impacted our air, soil, and water quality.
Today, many communities throughout West Virginia’s coal camps are living without access to safe water.
Photo by Lewis Hine, 1908, Library of Congress
WV’s Coal Camps: Local Lore, Legends, and the Legacy of the Mines
West Virginia is unlike any other state. We were the only state formed during the Civil War, our hairpin borders drawn around the territories of our militias.
Of course, you have heard of our feud culture and the history of the Hatfield and the McCoy feud. But, our Wild and Wonderful state is most known for our storied history centered around the coal mines and labor organizing. Today, our coal camps are a living legacy of the history of the mines.
Photo caption
What we need
In the shadows of our scenic trails lie areas known as “sacrifice zones,” where environmental, economic, and health sacrifices have been made at the expense of locals to benefit others— corporations, the wellness of the country, the broader economy.
One does not need to look far to understand why West Virginia has been called the only state to ever be the richest with the poorest people. As the coal industry dwindles, our area is left without jobs, a crumbling infrastructure, a collapsed economy, and a lack of access to safe water.
We need your help to turn things around.