BY CHRIS LAWRENCE
WV METRO NEWS

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Members of an advocacy organization fighting for the Tug Fork River hope to have a strong turnout for a public meeting about the river’s future this weekend.

The Friends of the Tug Fork River will hold the event this Saturday at the Williamson Fire Hall from 3-5 p.m.

“We want anyone and everyone to come and talk about why they love the Tug Fork and any concerns they might have about the Tug Fork,” said Madison Mooney, a member of the Friends of the Tug Fork River Board.

The meeting will serve several purposes. It’s aimed at creating like-minded support for the waterway and its future by documenting and celebrating the success stories up and down the waterway. The pep rally of sorts will help encourage support for the river and create a sense of value within the community. However, the meeting will also be a chance to prioritize the list of needs for the waterway going forward.

“Our goal is to try and get funding to help our natural water resources,” said Mooney.

A representative from the National Wildlife Federation will be on hand for the meeting and will document public comments to find out what issues are of most interest to stakeholders who live along the waterway or those who use the waterway frequently. According to Mooney it could be anything from funding to help advertise for improved care for the river to help paying for sewerage treatment plants along the river to improve water quality.

The NWF plans to use information from the meeting to build a grant request for federal money to protect and improve natural waterways.

“Anyone that lives along the Tug Fork or uses the Tug Fork, we want them to come out and speak about what they’ve experienced, what they’ve seen, and what they wish to improve,” she said.