(Stock Photo)

(Stock Photo)
For the past year, I have had the privilege of serving on Jefferson County’s Water Advisory Committee. The experience left me with equal measures of optimism and concern, and it convinced me that several fundamental changes are needed to protect our county’s water supply.
I came away convinced of one thing above all else: Jefferson County’s future will depend in no small part on how wisely we manage our water. That challenge is far more complex than many people realize, but it is also one we are capable of meeting if we are willing to plan for the long term.
My interest in serving on the committee stems from a career studying water. For nearly two decades, I worked as a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Kearneysville, conducting stream and river research throughout Appalachia. Today I serve as Senior Scientist for the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. On the committee, however, I participated not as an organizational representative but as a Jefferson County resident and water scientist who cares deeply about this community.
Politics, culture, investigations and community reporting from Jefferson County and the wider region.
Jefferson County is unlike almost anywhere else in West Virginia. Look at a map, and you’ll notice something unusual: compared with neighboring counties, we have relatively few visible streams. But the apparent lack of water is deceptive. Much of our water simply flows underground through the county’s limestone geology—a landscape known as karst. That geology is both a blessing and a challenge.
Unlike surface waters that we can easily observe, groundwater remains largely hidden. It moves through fractures, sinkholes, conduits, and caves in ways that are often difficult to predict. Fortunately, decades of research by USGS and others have greatly improved our understanding of this system. Dye-tracing studies demonstrated that groundwater moves surprisingly quickly through the county, generally flowing from south to north and west to east along geological features. Those findings illustrate an important reality: decisions made in one part of Jefferson County can affect water resources somewhere else. Whether the issue is a water bottling factory, data center development, or residential growth, water planning cannot be approached one parcel at a time.
Karst groundwater is also uniquely susceptible to pollution. That’s because sinkholes provide direct surface access to groundwater and because pollution can travel through karst much faster than many people assume. We have already seen this firsthand. PFAS contamination associated with the Eastern Regional Airport migrated through groundwater into drinking-water supplies for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the City of Martinsburg. Fortunately, water managers did the right thing by investing in treatment, and those systems now have filtration to protect their customers. Meanwhile, families relying on private wells—including my own—have fewer options.
That is why I worry when I hear people say that Jefferson County has “all the water we could ever need.” We do not.
Small changes in groundwater levels can have outsized effects on springs, streams, farms, and public water supplies. Just a few summers ago, Elks Run—the primary drinking-water source for Harpers Ferry and Bolivar—ran dry, forcing an emergency switch to the Potomac River. Many local farms depend on springs that are equally sensitive to declining groundwater levels.
Today, those concerns are becoming more immediate. While much of West Virginia is coping with catastrophic flooding, the eastern panhandle remains in drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Our groundwater levels tell the same story. For instance, the long-term USGS monitoring well near Rockymarsh Run currently shows groundwater levels lower than 95 percent of prior observations for this time of year over the last 22 years. At the same time, Jefferson County continues to experience rapid residential and industrial growth, placing additional demands on the same shared aquifer.
These realities make thoughtful water planning more important than ever.
The Water Advisory Committee was created to provide technical guidance to the County Commission on water-resource issues. Commissioners asked us to evaluate scientific tools, data sources, and best management practices that could improve decision-making. Over the past year, committee members devoted many hours to answering those questions, and I appreciate both their expertise and their commitment. A final report is expected this fall.
Whether that work ultimately improves water stewardship, however, depends on what happens next.
First, Jefferson County needs dedicated technical expertise within county government. The committee can offer recommendations, but someone must be responsible for applying the best available science to planning decisions every day. A county hydrologist—or another professional with equivalent groundwater expertise—would help ensure that scientific information is properly interpreted and incorporated into land-use planning. Our County Health Department performs an essential public-health role through well testing and sanitation, but its mission is understandably different from long-range water-resource planning.
Second, we should recognize both the value and the limits of scientific models used to evaluate groundwater availability. Better models can certainly improve decision-making, but Jefferson County’s complex karst aquifer requires years of research and substantial investment to produce reliable local predictions. Even the best model, however, cannot answer questions that are ultimately matters of public policy. For example, commercial groundwater extraction is not currently recognized as a permitted use under the County’s Comprehensive Plan or zoning ordinances. Science can help us understand the consequences of changing that policy, but it cannot decide whether we should.
Finally, I believe the scope of the water advisory committee needs to become broader and more forward-looking. The committee’s charge over the last year focused largely on evaluating how new water uses might be accommodated. That is an important question, but it is not the only one. We should also be asking: How are our water resources changing over time? What risks are emerging? What makes our water supply resilient? How do we protect both public health and economic prosperity for future generations?
These are questions worthy of Jefferson County.
Despite my concerns, I remain optimistic.
One of the committee’s unanimous recommendations was to encourage greater transparency regarding water use by proposed data centers. The West Virginia Department of Commerce already requires developers to provide information about their water sources and peak water demands, but that information currently is withheld from the public. Making such vital information available to scientists, local officials, and the public would improve trust and allow decisions to be informed by evidence rather than speculation. I hope the County Commission advances the committee’s recommendation in the months ahead.
Clean, reliable water has always been one of Jefferson County’s greatest assets. Protecting it will require sound science, thoughtful planning, and an informed public willing to engage in difficult conversations. Having served on the Water Advisory Committee, I am convinced that our community possesses all three. The question now is whether we choose to use them.
Your comment has been submitted.

Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: