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Streams serve many purposes, including water supply, wildlife habitat, transportation, and for recreation purposes. A stream is a dynamic, complex system that includes not only the active channel but also the floodplain and the vegetated corridor along the stream bank. A natural stream system remains stable while transporting a wide range of flows and sediment produced in its watershed. With the introduction of human-induced watershed disturbances including dams, mining, agriculture, timber harvest, and urbanization, the changes in flow and/or sediment supply significantly affect this equilibrium, causing the destruction of the stream. Destruction includes changes to water quality, habitat, and adjacent property.

The Division of Environmental Protection is West Virginia’s leading environmental agency (DEP), was established in October 1991, and is responsible for the oversight of the state abandoned mine lands, air quality, mining and reclamation, oil and gas, waste management and water resources program. It is the responsibility of West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) to maintain and protect the ecosystem health of the state’s waters. In keeping with the Clean Water Act and technical guidance from USEPA, West Virginia’s DEP developed water quality standards for the protection of ecosystem health Environmental issues confronting the state of West Virginia include the restoration of about 2,000 miles of stream that were impacted by acid mine damage. The lower 20 miles of the Cheat River was damaged by acid mine drainage. The causes of the contamination are the underground and surface mines that were abandoned decades ago. Many of the streams were severely degraded by acid mine drainage. The committee had selected the first three streams that will receive lime treatments to neutralize the water. Those are Abrams Creek in Mineral County, Three Forks Creek in Preston County, and Paint Creek in Kanawha

Streams play an important corridor role in connecting fragmented habitats and thus in conserving biodiversity. In order to restore these natural resources, the state of West Virginia has created the Stream Restoration Program. The program uses a variety of treatment method such as limestone drum technology to improve the quality of water. The use of limestone neutralizes streams contaminated with acid. Estimated cost for installing the process will amount to nearly $2 million.

Stream restoration is the process of re-establishing the general structure and function of a stream system that existed prior to destruction. It is a holistic approach that requires an understanding of many physical and biological components of the stream system and its watershed, in order to do the process right. Restoration includes a broad range of measures including removing the watershed disturbances that are causing stream instability, installing structures and planting vegetation to protect stream banks and provide habitat, and reshaping unstable stream reaches into appropriately designed functionality of the streams.

Aside from Stream Restoration program of the West Virginia DEP, there are some non profit organizations aiming to help preserve these natural resources. The Save Our Streams or SOS is a national watershed educational outreach program. They aim to educate and involve the people in the restoration process of the streams, hoping to bring back the national functionality of the streams as wildlife habitats and for future generation.