TWIN FALLS, W.VA. (WOAY) – Bright orange water has been spotted flowing through a stream just below Black Fork Falls at Twin Falls Resort State Park, raising concern among Wyoming County residents and park visitors who believe the discoloration could be mine drainage. State officials told us the cause is natural and not a result of nearby mining.
The site, a popular swimming hole and a marked stop on the West Virginia Waterfall Trail, has raised concerns for some Wyoming County residents. One resident, Richard Altizer, shared photos and video online, warning others not to let their children play in the orange-stained water.
“I went down the stream and found it coming out of the mountain,” Altizer said, “I put it on Facebook and told people to stop letting their kids play in it because it’s mine drainage.”
Residents are concerned for kids in the area after seeing them stick their hands in the orange water and use it as paint.
The WVDEP told the Charleston Gazette in October 2024, that they were going to conduct an investigation into the matter. Terry Fletcher, Chief Communications Officer for the WVDEP confirmed to Newswatch that they had initiated the investigation.
“To date, there is no evidence of mine water discharge, barrier failure, or upwelling from a mine pool. This type of staining and streambed condition can be easily seen at many other streams and rock outcrops across West Virginia,” Fletcher said.
The WVDEP says the bright orange water, foam, and the sheening seen in the creek is the result of “common natural processes seen across the state.” That includes iron oxidation and sulphur-reducing bacteria.
Additionally, the WVDEP believes the rhodendron-lined banks contribute tannic acid, lowering soil pH and further influencing the water chemistry.
When we were at the site, rhodendrons lined the stream, beyond the site in question where discolored water is flowing out of the mountain.
The West Virginia DEP confirmed that mining is happening directly underneath the park.
Residents have encountered a consultant testing the waterways on behalf of one of the coal companies.
When residents asked park staff about the testing, they didn’t know it was happening. According to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, that is normal.
The Itmann mine is owned by Consol Energy, one of the largest coal companies in America.
The mining permit for the Consol mine under the park is U301318. You can find information about the permit by clicking here and entering the permit number where prompted.
With bubbles and foam forming at the surface below the falls and bright orange water flowing out of multiple places, a DNR spokesperson said, “As WVDEP mentioned, there are there are no permitted discharges within Twin Falls State Park, and no mine-related discharge into park waterways have been identified.”
Fletcher said the nearest mining was approximately 2,500 feet south, operating hundreds of feet below the elevation of the falls.
“It is simply not possible for mine water to reach or discharge at the falls,” he said.
Fletcher acknowledged that it is entirely possible for mine water to travel “long distances through mine voids and fractures” but said that in this situation, that is not possible.
“While the mining activity is progressing geographically closer to the park, it is simultaneously moving deeper underground by following the natural dip of the rock layers. This means that the mining is moving further away from the Falls in terms of elevation and hydraulic connectivity. Given the significant vertical separation, intact geologic barriers, and absence of hydrostatic pressure, it is not physically possible for mine water to discharge at the Falls. The conditions necessary for mining to impact the falls simply do not exist,” he said.
