“Warm Springs Run suffers from an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ condition. Although the stream is twelve miles long and flows through the heart of Berkeley Springs, it is invisible to most people.” Such was the very accurate conclusion reached in the 2007 Corridor Assessment of Warm Springs Run.

Since its inception in 2008, the Warm Springs Watershed Association has made great progress in reversing that conclusion. To list but a few examples: the WSWA has participated in the WV Make it Shine Program, which involves pulling trash and debris out of the Run each April. We have planted close to 400 trees, which help to reduce the risk of flooding as well as to prevent eroded and polluted matter from reaching the Run. We have done three series of educational programs, reaching more than 400 people, to educate the public about the Run, its problems and its possibilities. In the process, the community has begun to pay attention to and care about this little stream.

Here is an example of a change in people’s perceptions about the Run.

Recently a portion of the Run was being dredged. The proper permits for this work had been sought and granted. However, people driving by the work site didn’t know that – all they knew was that heavy machinery was in the Run and that the water flowing downstream was dark with sediment. And they knew who to call – a representative of the Warm Springs Watershed Association.

The mission of the WSWA is to restore, protect and preserve Warm Springs Run. As dedicated as current WSWA friends and members are to achieving these goals, we know that it is necessary to make the community even more aware of the stream, its role in the watershed and the impact people have on it. Here are things you can do to help:

• Become involved in the WSWA; learn about opportunities to help by attending monthly meetings and receiving the quarterly newsletter
• Reduce or eliminate your use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer and rock salt, all of which can end up in the Run due to stormwater runoff.
• Clean up pet waste, and put it in the trash. Fecal coliforms from pet waste can also end up in the Run due to stormwater runoff.
• If you have a septic system, have it inspected and pumped every three to four years.
• Install a rain barrel under downspouts. Plant rain gardens. Both practices can reduce stormwater runoff.