The Cheat River is one of the longest free-flowing rivers in West Virginia. Although the river’s water quality and aquatic ecosystems have recovered by leaps and bounds in recent years, acid mine drainage pollution from pre-regulatory coal mines still plagues the watershed. This photo depicts the acid mine drainage-impacted waters from a tributary, Muddy Creek, flowing into the mainstem Cheat River in Preston County, W.Va. The orange stains on the rocks indicate that the water contains metals, such as iron. Typically, acid mine drainage is a low pH and most aquatic creatures are intolerant of these conditions. Throughout Appalachia (and the Nation), nearly 10,000 miles of streams are impacted by legacy pollution, such as acid mine drainage. Funding for cleaning up this pollution is severely lacking and, in many cases, local nonprofit watershed organizations become the champions who push to find ways to ensure cleanup happens. Acid mine drainage not only kills aquatic life, but it is a detriment to the economic well-being of of the communities impacted by this pollution– it hinders recreational opportunities, contaminates drinking water supplies, and fosters an apathy for a condition that “just is”. Photograph Copyright Adam Webster, All Rights Reserved.