Wednesday - Day 5
The Greenbrier River as seen from the bridge in Marlinton. Because Marlinton is on a flood plain it has always been suseptible to flooding.
In 1996 the entire town was evacuated. Recently 52 million additional dollars for a floodwall around Marlinton was appropriated.
"Basically this project is designed to build a gigantic floodwall around the entire town of Marlinton. In the project, it has to acquire some property, would be about 124 acres including 40 residences and six businesses, but it would protect, you know, significant acreage from future flooding."
West Virginia Economic Development Grant Committee
This is the view from under the bridge a near water level. It is hard to viualise a "gigantic floodwall" in this view and the one above.
One of several old and now empty buildings in Marlinton.
We left Marlington mid-morning with one final stop to make - Gaudineer Knob. This was one of my dad's favorite birding spots as he could hear several species of thrushes singing in and around the stand of Virgin Spruce. Addtionally, his observations in June, 1981 of male and female Yellow-rumped Warblers carrying food provided the first strong evidence that this species breeds in West Virginia.
Considering this, it seemed fitting what remained of his ashes be cast to the wind at this spot.
~ FINIS ~