Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: West Virginia
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

An environmental impact assessment is required for the construction of Corridor H, a four lane highway under construction in eastern West Virginia. Specifically, the West Virginia Division of Transportation (WVDOT) was required to establish a long-term investigation focused on providing community level information on stream ecosystems. This study is a long-term monitoring effort with analyses of macroinvertebrate communities in streams affected by Corridor H road construction, including assessments before, during, and after road construction efforts. The project is a collaborative effort of the USGS West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, West Virginia University, and WVDOT. Our results provide WVDOT with biological impact information relative to the road construction project, and are specifically used by WVDOT to meet their federal permit requirements for continued advancement toward completion of the project.