West Virginia Rivers Coalition staff pose for a photo. Submitted courtesy of WV Rivers.
West Virginia Rivers Coalition was first organized by a group of folks from the state’s chapter of the Sierra Club and the American Whitewater Association in 1990. As a group of water sport enthusiasts, they were concerned about the wellbeing of the Mountain State’s many bodies of water. They set out to “promote the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of West Virginia’s beautiful rivers and streams so that they could be enjoyed by present and future generations.”
In 2026, the organization’s mission still remains clear: conserving and restoring West Virginia’s rivers and streams. This week, we asked WV Rivers Executive Director Jennie Smith and Deputy Director Autumn Leah Crowe a few questions so you can get to know them better:
Anna: What project(s) do you feel are most urgent or important to Rivers right now?
Jennie & Autumn: At WV Rivers, we believe all West Virginians deserve access to clean and healthy waters. Unfortunately, in some areas of the state, that is not the case. Industrial pollution and unsustainable development have impacted and continue to threaten our water resources, especially the headwaters and streams that originate on our public lands. Our public lands play a critical role in protecting drinking water sources, supporting outdoor recreation economies and ensuring access to nature for communities across the state.
Communities must have access to clean drinking water for health and prosperity. WV Rivers is working at the state and federal levels with our lawmakers and regulatory agencies to defend against rollbacks, strengthen our laws and regulations to improve water quality, and safeguard public lands from harmful development that puts water resources at risk. At the same time, we are working with educators, watershed groups, faith-based organizations, and local advocates to build their capacity in advocating for clean water and public lands in their communities. In order to ensure clean water for all, we need investments in water and wastewater infrastructure and flood resiliency, enforcement of existing regulations to keep industrial pollution to a minimum, guardrails for the buildout of data centers and other industrial development that protect water resources and local control, and a commitment from our decision-makers to prioritize public health and community well-being over corporate profits.
Anna: Can you speak a little about what makes this work personal to you?
Jennie & Autumn: Like so many West Virginians, I grew up playing in the creeks and rivers. Those experiences helped shape who I am today, and now I want to make sure my son and all future generations have those same opportunities. They say West Virginia’s greatest export is our youth. So many are leaving the state to find opportunities elsewhere. After graduating from WVU, I also left for a few years to start my career. I was living out West when the 2014 water crisis happened. I knew my environmental protection skills were needed here in the Mountain State and I returned to give back to the rivers that raised me.
Anna: What does the future look like for Rivers?
Jennie & Autumn: We have developed such a phenomenal team at WV Rivers to advance our vision for clean water for all. We’ve laid a strong foundation by shoring up our operations and communications to build on our pillars of protecting public lands, ensuring policy is based on sound science, and engaging communities in advocating for clean water. We are growing our citizen science program, investing in and building capacity of community groups, and being proactive in headwaters protection and policy development. It’s been really exciting to grow our team and build momentum to see some of our shorter-term goals come to fruition. We still have a long road ahead of us, but I’ve seen how West Virginians come together to help each other through challenging times. There’s nothing we can’t achieve when we are all working together to improve the state we love and call home.
Readers can follow WV Rivers on Facebook, Instagram, and X. To see how you can support their mission, visit https://wvrivers.org/advocate/.
