Letter below, which I (Strimbeck) believe was sent to Morgantown Dominion Post, was on JAVINS CORPORATION letterhead, P. O. Box 491, 1000 Dupont Road, Bldg. 403, Morgantown WV 26507-0491, 304-292-3234 (fax: 3235). Email address is bjavins@westco.net.

July 9, 1999

RE: Opekiska L&D, Hildebrand L&D, Morgantown L&D
Northern West Virginia Concerned Citizens, Marion & Monongalia Counties

Dear Fellow Citizen:

Subject: Closure of Locks and Dams

I am a citizen of Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia and a user of the upper Monongahela River. Over the past three years I have watched the lessening of service and usage of the locks and dams on the Monongahela River in West Virginia.

It has finally become apparent to me that the US Army Corps of Engineers Navigation Division is in motion to stop providing lock service at our locks by 2003. This will stop river traffic from Morgantown to the head of navigation near Fairmont, West Virginia.

I believe the public in Northern West Virginia has not been made aware of the consequences that will come to our area once the locks are closed. We are citizens and tax payers of the federal government, employees and agencies of the federal government are our employees. Our agencies and employees should at least let us know what they are doing when they plan to make major changes.

Currently, John Q. Citizen cannot go on his boat from Morgantown to Fairmont after he gets off work in the evening because Hildebrand L&D and Opekiska L&D closed operations at 4:00PM, seven days a week. Next year these locks will be open only five days a week and we probably will be unable to travel on the weekends.

There will be little or no free public access for boaters to the Morgantown and Hildebrand pools of the Monongahela River. This is a shame for the boaters and citizens who use or plan to use the river.

Property owners along the river will no longer have access to the rest of the river beyond the pool they are on. Recreational boaters will have to stay where they are. Business owners and developers will be denied access to the rest of the river system; this will lessen the value of their property. Tourists, visitors, and outside commercial enterprises will be denied access by river navigation.

I am a concerned citizen. I have contacted Senators Byrd and Rockefeller, Representatives Mollohan and Wise, Governor Underwood, the Monongalia County Commission, the Marion County Commission, the Morgantown City Planner and Manager. They are generally unaware of the US Army Corps of Engineers' plans and actions here. The general citizenry is unaware also. I will continue alerting my fellow citizens to what is happening to our Locks and Dams on the Monongahela River in West Virginia.

I believe these facilities should remain open and in the same operational status as when they were created, that is open twenty fours hours a day and seven days a week. The cost of keeping them open is small in comparison to the cost of closing them.

I believe that once these facilities are closed they will never be opened again.

Other citizens may have varying opinions, we should at least express our opinions and get a public decision instead of letting a federal government agency make this arbitrary decision for us.

I am writing this letter to make you aware of what is happening to our locks and dams. Now that you are aware, contact our public representatives and make them aware of your opinion. If we do not act, some one else will act for us.

Best regards,

/s/ Brooks Javins

President & HENNY COOK Sternwheeler Captain