Buckhannon River Watershed Association among recipients of state infrastructure grants

The Buckhannon River Watershed Association will receive a $5,000 Stream Partners Program grant as part of more than $15.4 million announced for water, sewer and conservation projects statewide. The funding supports river and watershed protection work.

News Release
January 2, 2026

The Buckhannon River Watershed Association will receive $5,000 as part of more than $15.4 million in grants announced by Governor Patrick Morrisey for water and sewer infrastructure upgrades and environmental conservation efforts across West Virginia.

The grant, awarded through the Stream Partners Program, will support efforts to improve and protect the Buckhannon River and Bull Run subwatershed through education, planning and community engagement.

Another project with local ties includes a $1 million grant to the Lewis County Economic Development Authority to extend water service along U.S. Route 33 east of Weston toward the Upshur County line, serving homes, businesses and future industrial users.

“As my administration continues our work to make West Virginia more competitive with our neighboring states, these critical upgrades to water and sewer infrastructure are moving the needle,” Morrisey said. “Clean water and functional infrastructure lift up the standard of living and propel economic growth in our communities.”

Water and sewer infrastructure grants

The water and sewer infrastructure grants total $12,643,588 for projects in 13 counties. The following projects were approved by the Water Development Authority:

Weston Sanitary Board (Lewis County) — $1,000,000 to upgrade the current system to bring sludge into compliance with regulations for landfill disposal. The project will affect 2,725 existing customers.

Town of Elizabeth (Wirt County) — $20,000 to conduct a preliminary assessment of existing sanitary sewer infrastructure, focusing on identifying and reducing sources of inflow and infiltration. The evaluation will affect 413 existing customers.

Sun Valley PSD (Harrison County) — $1,900,000 to extend water service to approximately 20 customers on Indian Run near Marshville with contaminated or dry wells.

Century Volga PSD (Barbour County) — $25,000 to study high metal content in sludge at the wastewater treatment plant and determine potential solutions.

Town of Clay (Clay County) — $477,500 to replace a water tank deemed deficient in the Health Department’s Sanitary Survey. The project will affect 528 customers.

Lewis County EDA (Lewis County) — $1,000,000 to extend water service along U.S. Route 33 east of Weston toward the Upshur County line, serving homes, businesses and future industrial users. The project serves 53 existing customers and adds 16 new customers.

Lubeck PSD (Wood County) — $300,000 to install 2,000 feet of 8-inch gravity sewer line serving the new Lubeck Elementary School and five residential customers.

Town of Mason (Mason County) — $250,000 to replace the UV system at the plant and meet NPDES compliance requirements. The upgrade will affect 482 existing customers.

Northern Jackson PSD (Jackson County) — $120,000 to fund a bid overrun on the Garfield Heights Road project in LeRoy, which will add 14 new customers.

City of Philippi (Barbour County) — $1,928,000 for construction of a reservoir in the Little Laurel Run area that will provide a 30-day raw water supply. The project will affect 1,515 customers.

Wilderness PSD (Nicholas County) — $500,000 to upgrade and extend water service in the Mt. Nebo area. The project will affect 2,054 existing customers and add one new customer.

Flatwoods Canoe Run PSD (Braxton County) — $2,889,500 to upgrade the SCADA system and replace deteriorated waterline leading to the Route 19 water storage tank. The project will benefit 2,009 existing customers.

City of Morgantown (Monongalia County) — $1,221,580 to construct water line extensions to provide domestic and fire service to residents on Morgans Run Road. The extension will add 28 new customers.

Pendleton County PSD (Pendleton County) — $500,000 to extend water service to approximately four customers in Brandywine and provide water service to an anticipated 200-unit home development in Troublesome Valley.

Sugar Creek PSD (Braxton County) — $37,500 to conduct an evaluation and develop a Preliminary Engineering Report for replacing the aging treatment plant. The project will support 610 customers.

Union Williams PSD (Wood & Pleasants County) — $474,508 to provide wastewater treatment plant and collection system upgrades. The project will improve service for 1,744 existing customers.

WVDEP conservation grants

Morrisey also announced $2,824,962 in grants from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for Chesapeake Bay cleanup, water quality improvement, watershed restoration and stream stewardship.

“We want clean water, and we want to make sure our lands are left in better condition than when we inherited them,” Morrisey said. “We are always looking to leave the next generation in a better place than where we are today.”

Chesapeake Bay Program grants

More than $1.5 million in 2025 Chesapeake Bay Program grants are being awarded to support water quality improvements, watershed restoration and land conservation efforts across the Eastern Panhandle.

West Virginia is one of only two jurisdictions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, along with the District of Columbia, to meet or exceed its 2025 pollution-reduction commitments. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency evaluations, West Virginia has achieved 100% of its nitrogen and sediment reduction goals and is on track to meet its phosphorus goal by 2025.

Recipients include:

West Virginia Conservation Agency — $435,741
West Virginia Department of Agriculture — $343,979
Cacapon Institute — $464,668
West Virginia Division of Forestry — $70,000
Trout Unlimited — $100,000
Region 9 Planning and Development Council — $60,000
Region 8 Planning and Economic Development Council — $50,000

Section 319 Nonpoint Source grants

The WVDEP awarded more than $1.2 million in federal Section 319 grants to organizations working to reduce pollution, restore streams and implement watershed-based plans.

Recipients include:

West Virginia Conservation Agency — $104,000 (statewide)
Friends of the Cheat — $55,950 (Preston County)
Friends of the Cheat and West Virginia Rivers Coalition — $137,894 (statewide)
Friends of Deckers Creek — $243,800 (Monongalia County)
Canaan Valley Institute — $147,760 (Berkeley County)
West Virginia Conservation Agency (Potomac Valley District) — $207,970 (Hampshire County)
West Virginia Conservation Agency (Western District) — $135,000 (Putnam County)
West Virginia Conservation Agency (Greenbrier Valley District) — $86,200 (Greenbrier and Monroe Counties)
West Virginia Conservation Agency (Eastern Panhandle District) — $82,000 (Morgan County)

Stream Partners Program grants

The WVDEP, in partnership with the West Virginia Conservation Agency, Division of Forestry and Division of Natural Resources, announced more than $100,000 in 2026 Stream Partners Program grants to support watershed groups. Each recipient will receive up to $5,000.

Recipients include: