Sep 13, 2018 6 min read

By Bob Niedbala

Staff writer

niedbala@observer-reporter.com

For more than 75 years, the Harry Enstrom Chapter of the Izaak Walton League has been involved in efforts to conserve Greene County’s natural resources.

But it wasn’t until concerns about the conditions of the river and local streams became an issue following the Dunkard Creek fish kill in late 2009 that the group really became active.

The group’s efforts shifted from being “reactive to proactive,” chapter president Ken Dufalla says. And chapter membership increased as concerns grew about the quality of water in local waterways.

“We’ve always been low-keyed, to be honest with you,” Dufalla says. “But when Dunkard Creek hit, we said enough is enough, it’s time for us to become proactive and find out what’s going on.”

The group became more outspoken on local environmental issues and developed a citizens’ water-monitoring program to track the conditions of area streams, a program that continues today.

The Izaak Walton League was formed in 1922 by a group of sportsmen who saw the need to protect the nation’s waters, forests and wildlife after observing the damage caused by industrial wastes, untreated sewage and poor land management. Founding members named the group after Izaak Walton, a 17th-century English writer who wrote the “The Compleat Angler,” a book celebrating the art and spirit of fishing. The league worked for the passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which protects exceptional rivers and their environments, and the 1972 Clean Water Act. It has pushed for green energies, land conservation, outdoor recreation, sustainable farming and fish and wildlife conservation.

The Greene County chapter was formed in 1942 and was later renamed after Harry Enstrom of Rices Landing, a former bank manager and founding chapter member who died in 2001. “He was the heart and soul of this organization,” Dufalla says.

The conservation of water resources, education and promotion of outdoors activities have remained the focus of the local chapter, says Dufalla, a member of the group for about 34 years and chapter president, on and off, for 15 to 18 years.

In its early years, the chapter primarily served as a forum for community members to meet and discuss issues pertaining to the environment. It offered some programs, like one on fly tying, Dufalla says. “But that was it. We weren’t really active.”

That changed following Dunkard Creek and the resulting increased concerns about the conditions of area streams and potential impacts of mining and natural gas drilling. Membership jumped from 19 before the fish kill to 147 about two years later, Dufalla says. Membership now stands at about 70.

To get a better idea of what was going on in local waterways, the group developed the citizens’ water-monitoring program, under which it began testing area streams for pH, water temperature, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids, factors that could indicate water-quality problems.

Information the group obtains from its tests is now forwarded to the West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University, which maintains a water quality monitoring system on the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers.

The institute does not monitor headwater streams, Dufalla says. But when it receives a “bad reading” on one of the rivers, it can refer to data from local volunteer stream monitoring groups, like the Izaak Walton League, to “pinpoint” a source, he says.

The program has been a success. Other groups have asked the chapter to help them develop similar programs, according to Dufalla. Water-monitoring programs have been implemented by other chapters, including the Monongalia, W.Va., chapter and the Mountaineer Chapter based in Elkins, W.Va.

Along with the testing program, the local chapter also became more outspoken on issues, testifying at public hearings involving environmental permits impacting water quality, Dufalla says.

Several years ago, the chapter took the lead in prompting the state Department of Environmental Protection to test water in Ten Mile Creek at the former Clyde Mine water discharge, after the group’s own testing had revealed water-quality problems.

Initial DEP tests conducted in April 2014 revealed levels of radioactivity in the water above normal levels. More comprehensive testing by DEP conducted later contradicted those initial findings.

Despite the stream receiving a clean bill of health, Dufalla says he remains concerned about mine discharges and is worried drilling waste water may be finding its way into water in this area’s closed underground mines.

The chapter, more recently, has been working with other organizations to address water-quality issues. It is currently working with others groups to address abandoned mine discharges that have always been a problem on the lower portion of Dunkard Creek.

The group also remains focused on promoting the use of natural resources and instilling in others the love of the outdoors, Dufalla says.

The chapter sponsors an annual trout-stocking program in Ten Mile Creek, offers educational programs, including programs on fly tying, and holds an annual ladies’ and kids’ fishing day. It also is working on developing kayak and small boat launches on Dunkard Creek and Ten Mile Creek.

In regard to the group’s approach to issues, Dufalla says the group has tried to rely more on common sense. “We take the data, analyze it and compare it to show where the problem is,” he says. The group is always open to working with DEP or industry to resolve any problems, he says. However, at times, he admits, the group has been at odds with those same interests. Dufalla makes a distinction between his group, which focuses on conservation, and those considered environmental groups.

He explains with an example: “An environmentalist says don’t touch that tree, don’t use it, don’t use anything; a conservationist says use the tree when it’s ready to be used, and when you take it out, plant another in its place.”

The group is not opposed to the development and use of natural resources, he says. “We’re not anti-industry. People think we are, but we’re not. We want good jobs, but at the same time, we don’t want to sacrifice the environment. We believe we can have both.”

It’s part of the mission of the league to preserve the land for those who follow after us, he says. “Basically, our philosophy is ‘take what you need, but leave it better for the next generation.'”

The chapter meets at 6 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at Hot Rod’s restaurant in Waynesburg. More information is available online at www.iwlaharryenstrom.org.