MARCH 2001 V.65, N.3 

      Formed more than 250 million years ago from sedimentary rock of ancient seas, the Allegheny Mountains rise west of the Blue Ridge along the central Appalachian Mountain range. Affectionately referred to as the Highlands, the region is a sanctuary of wind-swept mountains, deep gorges, glorious waterfalls, lost rivers, rich valleys and wetlands, and alluring caves. After the continental glaciers of the Ice Age retreated northward, islands of boreal forests were stranded in the high mountains along the Allegheny Front. These northern species quickly adapted to the rugged terrain and harsh elements of the Highlands. A unique and wondrous landscape was formed, luring entrepreneur and homesteader alike.

      Reporting on the region in 1852, writer Philip Pendleton Kennedy eloquently stated that "nowhere in all this fair land of ours has a scene more beautifully grand broken on the eye of poet or painter."

      A land of unsurpassed Appalachian wilderness, the Highlands has weathered a dichotomous relationship with man since Kennedy wrote his poetic prose. This is the story of the Blackwater Canyon; a story of wonder, veneration, struggle, resilience, and triumph in the last century for one of Appalachia's most significant natural landmarks.

      The steepest terrain of the Highlands remained undocumented by European Americans until 1851, when author and illustrator David Hunter Strother, who used the pen name Porte Crayon, set out to explore the uncharted wilderness. Accounts of his adventures were detailed in the prestigious national publication Harper's Monthly. Crayon depicted mountainous vistas of immense spruce and hardwood stands, thick laurels and rhododendrons, and, most distinctly, an untamed canyon carved by a wild, raging river. Crayon had found the land of Canaan and the majestic Blackwater Canyon.

      He described a perilous adventure down the steep canyon slopes to reach the great river. Deep within the gorge, he recorded more than 250 brook trout caught by his party in one day. A mysterious wilderness that inspired awe, the Blackwater soon received national recognition. Yet, in the following decades, Canaan and the canyon lands faced unremitting assaults that challenged the integrity of the region's natural heritage.

      Railroad companies were expanding into western Maryland at the same time Crayon was preparing his explorations to West Virginia. By 1880, tracks reached beyond Maryland and into the Mountain State, introducing logging and mining to the region. Within two decades, industry was prospering, but at the expense of the rich natural resources. As Canaan and the Blackwater Canyon were clear-cut, the landscape was converted into a tinderbox. By 1910, fires swept over the wasteland, often burning continuously from spring until the first snows. Residents of dwindling lumber towns feared for their lives. Only deep trenches filled with water from the Blackwater River spared the towns of Davis and Thomas. When the fires subsided, thin mineral soil and bare rock were all that remained. Uncontrollable soil erosion and flooding further degraded and depopulated the region. The dense and diverse forest, which had taken hundreds of centuries to evolve and had covered valleys and ridges, had been transformed into a desert.

      The 1920s brought new optimism to the region, as national trends linked environmental protection to prosperity. Civilian Conservation Corps members replanted much of the Canaan region and the U.S. Forest Service purchased thousands of burned acres to establish Monongahela National Forest. Owned at the time by West Virginia Power and Transmission (later called Allegheny Power Systems) and slated for an elaborate electric generation project, the south side of the canyon was excluded from this large-scale preservation effort. Yet, tightly nestled within the newly established public lands, it, too, began to heal, as healthy second growth forests regenerated.

      From 1937 to 1953, various leases and donations to the state from the utility company resulted in a momentous addition to the West Virginia State Park system. Blackwater Falls State Park was placed into public ownership, including 934 acres at the head of the canyon and the renowned 62-foot falls. Damming plans for the river never materialized and visitors were given full access to the entire canyon for recreational opportunities. The canyon again enjoyed worldwide fame, drawing thousands of tourists annually. As the years passed, few realized that the lower canyon was not permanently protected for future generations.

      The dramatic canyon and its wild river derive their names from the reddish brown color of the river's water. This distinctive characteristic, notes author and naturalist J. Lawrence Smith in Blackwater Country, is caused by a combination of tannic acids from the evergreens growing along its course and iron oxide from the Mauch Chunk shales that underlie much of the valley. Deep in the forests of the Highlands, the river's headwaters meander east through the swampy mountain bogs of Canaan Valley. For nearly 20 miles, the Blackwater slithers along a level water gap, draining the highest mountain valley east of the Mississippi.

      Then, turning west, gathering tributaries swell its banks as it accelerates toward the breathtaking Falls of the Blackwater. In a leap of faith, the river plummets into a maze of boulders, raging for its final 10 miles through the majestic Blackwater Canyon. For more than a millennium, the river has patterned this 1,000-foot-deep gorge.

      Coursing onward, the river drops nearly 1,200 feet through the canyon as it rages towards the wide, peaceful banks of the Cheat River. High on the upper ridges, vast rock outcroppings, which have become the quintessential portraits of the region, provide breathtaking views of the watershed. The canyon's magnificence has drawn both artists seeking inspiration in the rich textures of fall and hikers seeking solitude under the stars.

      In addition, with eight miles of continuous rapid, the Blackwater River offers one of the most superb whitewater courses in the East for kayakers. Hunters and fishermen also have long enjoyed the abundant fish and wildlife of the canyon. Its unusual and sensitive ecosystem, which includes rare and endangered species, continues to fascinate biologists and botanists. The old railroad right-of-way is now a rigorous mountain biking and cross-country ski trail.

      In 1970, the first hope in nearly two decades for public ownership of the remaining canyon lands surfaced when the National Park Service recom-mended it for National Natural Landmark status. More than two decades later, in 1995, the U.S. Forest Service recommended it for Wild and Scenic River status. From 1995 to 1997, The Conservation Fund negotiated aggressively with the power company for public ownership of the canyon by the U.S. Forest Service. However, on February 18, 1997, Allegheny Power Systems sold the 3,000-acre mountain sanctuary to a private developer, who subsequently resold the canyon to Allegheny Wood Products, an international exporter of Appalachian hardwoods.

       At first, Allegheny Wood Products began timbering the lower reaches of the canyon and staking several development sites. When citizens expressed concern for the ecological, historical, and recreational losses that timbering in the canyon would bring about, Allegheny Wood Products began working with government agencies that are concerned about the natural integrity of the area. Recently, the state purchased the famous Lindy Point overlook as an addition to Blackwater Falls State Park, providing public access to the most scenic overlook along the canyon rim. Allegheny Wood Products also has given the state first right of refusal for purchase of additional acreage in the canyon, which will likely be acquired in the near future.

      Efforts are now under way by concerned citizens and conservation organizations to preserve the Blackwater Canyon as a National Park. Congress has appropriated funds for a National Park study of the canyon, but authorizing legislation for the study has not yet been approved. The "Blackwater Canyon Campaign" has received widespread public support and is also conducting scientific studies of the area, including documentation of federally threatened and endangered species that live in the canyon.

      The Blackwater Canyon has seen man come and go, but the spirit of the land remains constant. In the face of adversity, the canyon has responded with resilience and renewed grandeur, proving that it is truly, as Kennedy had heard told, "as perfect a wilderness as our continent contained."

      Blackwater is a land that nurtures and humbles all that find refuge in its embrace. In 1853, Kennedy elaborated, "The wilderness was rich everywhere with hues of all dyes and the banks of the river gleamed for miles with the flowers of the rhododendron. A scene of more enchantment it would be difficult to imagine." The wilderness of Kennedy's prose will again be realized when the natural heritage of the Blackwater Canyon is fully preserved, leaving a priceless legacy for generations to come.

      Pam Chaddon is a full-time mother, freelance writer, and musician living in Westminster, Maryland. A member of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, she has been active in the campaign to preserve the Blackwater Canyon.