This creek has friends!

West Virginia has long been a "sacrifice zone."

Every rule is bent by mining interest, beyond the breaking point.

In West Virginia, as in many places, all waterways need friends.

Surrounded by limestone and coal mines, fracking pads and logging, this is Decker's Creek. By the time it's all said and done, this water runs past my house. I took this picture less than a mile from a limestone mine. In some places, you can smell the natural gas rolling down the hillside.

But this is an image of peace. This creek has friends! Isn't it beautiful? This is the front line of environmental protection. Although the mining continues, the creek continues to get cleaner as time goes on.

With organization and support, the community was recently able to secure a multi-million dollar federal grant to stop the toxins from an abandoned mine from running directly into the creek.

But there is still much to do. They're now making progress on initiatives to remove the CSOs (combined sewer overflows). Almost every time it rains, raw sewage drains with storm water into the creek. With the help of its friends, Decker's Creek can be a true success story, giving another face to a global body of conservation.

This picture is testimony to nature's grace, if only given a chance.

Here's to friends of nature! We can save it if we try!

resteem images of peace!