City lets $1.5 million reservoir recreation project

Nov. 30—MORGANTOWN — In February of 2015, the Morgantown Utility Board made public its plan to construct a new reservoir on 125 acres along Cobun Creek Road.

About 15 minutes later, people started inquiring about recreational opportunities at the site.

This has all been a long time coming.

Morgantown City Council has approved a $1, 557, 400 contract with North Carolina-based Nature Trails LLC to construct what City Engineer Drew Gatlin has described as “a Goldilocks project.”

“The contractor that bid on the project is about as qualified as they come for the project. So that is excellent. They have a very good reputation around the world for doing trail work and they are a large enough trail contractor that they do bridge work as well, ” he said. “It’s a rare combination.”

Preliminary planning for the project includes five miles of multi-use dirt trails and four bridge crossings.

According to the city, “We expect one main trail loop to circle the reservoir beginning at the current boat ramp and ending below the dam at a large parking lot. Several sections of slightly narrower, more singletrack-focused stacked loops will form a secondary system for users to explore the reservoir property’s higher elevations and more wooded areas.”

A pedestrian-only waterside trail that will serve as access to prime fishing territory is planned on the south side of the reservoir.

After just under five years in construction, MUB was given the all-clear to begin filling the 370-million-gallon secondary water source in January 2023.

Eight months later, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources began a multi-year process of stocking it with fish. In September 2023, about 3, 500 bait fish were added. A month later, 24, 000 bluegill were introduced. Bass were added this past summer and catfish, and black crappie are planned for 2025, according to a stocking schedule previously provided by MUB.

As the reservoir is first and foremost a source of drinking water, no motorized boats or craft are allowed on the water.

Beyond fishing, Gatlin said future phases could include additional trail mileage, fishing piers /docks, restroom facilities and personal, non-motorized watercraft launch docks.

Once the recreational amenities are in place, they will fall under the control of BOPARC.

“We will have staff at the location regularly doing trail monitoring, and that will look a lot like our other trails in terms of checking for maintenance issues, vandalism, making sure passage is safe, etc., ” BOPARC Executive Director Melissa Wiles said, explaining the reservoir property will be BOPARC’s first adventure outside the confines of Morgantown.

She said the project is “a new component within our system that will require planning for the possibility of additional staff, supplies and other associated costs.”

For those who know the history, the reservoir project, and specifically the gravity fed pipeline through White Park that pulls water from the site to MUB’s treatment facility, actually caused significant friction between MUB, the city and BOPARC during a four-month stretch in 2019.

While there remains a MUB-funded project coming to White Park as a result of those negotiations, that’s largely water under the bridge at this point.

“We feel confident that we can bring this back in under budget and that it will become a great community asset, ” Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli said. “Obviously, a little bit outside of town, but like the Botanic Gardens and some of the other areas around, this will become a great community asset.”

Longtime city councilor and BOPARC member Jenny Selin agreed.

“It’s really cool that we’re taking advantage of it and we’re not only going to have nice, fresh water, we’re going to have people out there able to enjoy it and the public being able to enjoy the investment they made in this extra water source, ” Selin said. “I just feel really good this evening that this is moving forward.”

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