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22-418: The series began in 1975 when Dave Coombs was contacted by a preacher from a church in a small West Virginia town. The preacher wanted to help the economy of his struggling town by hosting a motorcycle race. Dave Coombs saw major potential in the land and thought that a grand prix style race through the town and surrounding country side would be special enough to bring visitors to the town. Coombs named this race

44-488: A "Wetland/Anoxic Limestone Drain (WALD) system" on the North Fork Blackwater River downstream of Thomas. Although the experimental WALD system did not perform as intended, and "has not generated measurable alkalinity" it did reduce the total acid and metal load in the water discharge from the abandoned mine into the river system. More successful was a project just upstream of Davis, on Beaver Creek,

66-455: A few years later. Blackwater 100 later received an eponymous pinball adaptation manufactured by Bally -Midway in 1988, distinguished by its complex table design and its unique rule of making each of the three "balls" allotted per session multiballs that represent three "heats" of the race. The famous Blackwater 100 was shut down after the 1993 event, but by this point the GNCC series had earned

88-663: A quarter of the valley. In 1977, the Federal Power Commission issued a license to APS for construction of a pumped storage hydroelectric project , formally known as the Davis Power Project. However, the following year the Project was denied a Clean Water Act permit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . The Corps' decision cited adverse impacts upon the Valley's wetlands, a relatively new concept at

110-621: A tributary of the Blackwater. A six-drum water-powered limestone grinding station adds limestone slurry to the water flowing down Beaver Creek. A Swedish -designed limestone powder dosing system was also installed as backup to the drum system. The five miles (8.0 km) stretch of the Blackwater between the limestone station and the confluence with the North Fork has now become one of West Virginia's premiere catch and release trout streams. Two real time water gauges are available from

132-472: Is also typical in having transparent, acidic, and oligotrophic (very low nutrient) water. Beginning in the 1880s, the Blackwater River watershed (especially the segment of the North Fork of the Blackwater River between the towns of Thomas and Douglas ) suffered extreme environmental degradation due to deep mining and coke production. This was exacerbated by the surface mining activities of

154-530: The Blackwater 100 . The name "Blackwater" originated from nearby Blackwater Falls and the Blackwater River , while 100 for the number of miles in the race. The land was rugged, which would make the race itself one would be difficult for riders and their machines. The race became popular when Dave invited a group of magazine editors from California, who went back and wrote about their experiences with

176-577: The Mississippi River and drains an area of 142 square miles (370 km ). It is a true blackwater stream, owing to spruce and hemlock trees in its watershed, the tannins of which impart a tea or amber color to its water. The entire course and drainage area of the Blackwater lie within Tucker County . It rises on Canaan Mountain at an elevation of 3,594 feet (1,095 m) and initially meanders north-northeastwardly through

198-476: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Advocacy for the establishment of a wildlife refuge in Canaan Valley began as early as 1961. In the 1970s, environmental and citizens' groups battled with Allegheny Power Systems (APS), which had owned more than 13,000 acres (53 km ) of Canaan Valley since 1923, over construction of a long-anticipated hydroelectric facility that would have flooded about

220-634: The United States Geological Survey : Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge (CVNWR) in Tucker County, West Virginia , was the 500th National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) to be established in the United States. The refuge preserves a moist valley with unique wetlands and uplands at a relatively high elevation in the Allegheny Mountains . It is administered by

242-808: The wetlands of Canaan Valley , passing through the Canaan Valley Resort State Park and the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge , and collecting two short tributaries known as the North Branch Blackwater River and the Little Blackwater River . Below the mouth of the latter, the Blackwater turns west-southwestwardly for the remainder of its course. After passing the town of Davis , it falls 62 feet (19 m) over Blackwater Falls and enters

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264-447: The 1960s and '70s, which brought about a severe decline in water quality due to acid mine drainage (AMD). In recent years, the limestone treatment of AMD in the Blackwater River has met with success with the effort receiving an award from the U.S. Office of Surface Mining . AMD is created when sulfite -bearing mineral strata are exposed to air and rainwater, such as when surface mining occurs. The sulfuric acid produced from

286-405: The color of West Virginia's Blackwater River results from the leaching of tannins from the decaying leaves of vegetation adjoining the stream in its upper reaches, which are slow moving. Fallen needles from stands of eastern hemlock and red spruce contribute primarily to this, although rhododendron , mountain laurel and the sphagnum bogs of Canaan Valley also contribute. The Blackwater

308-633: The eight-mile (13 km) long Blackwater Canyon in Blackwater Falls State Park . Here it forms whitewater rapids of Class IV-V+ and collects the eight-mile (13 km) long North Fork Blackwater River , which flows past the town of Thomas . Finally, the Blackwater joins the Dry Fork to form the Black Fork at the town of Hendricks , at an elevation of 1,690 feet (520 m). As with other blackwater rivers ,

330-447: The premier "XC1 Pro ATV" class and the "XC2 Pro-Am ATV" class to serve as a stepping stone for riders moving out of the amateur classes. Professional motorcycle classes consist of the "XC1 Open Pro" class for any size motorcycle, the "XC2 250 Pro" class for 250cc motorcycles and the "XC2 125 Pro-Am" class reserved exclusively for 125cc 2-stroke motorcycles. Over the years the series has been contested by thousands of different riders across

352-572: The refuge now encompasses some 16,628 acres (67 km ) of a total authorized size of 25,459 acres (103 km ). This represents almost 70% of the valley's 25,000 acres (100 km ). Several habitat types can be found in the wet soils of the forests, shrublands and open spaces in the refuge. White-tailed deer , raccoons , geese , and squirrels are common, and minks , bobcats , black bears , and barred owls can be seen. Beaver dams affect local water levels. Gamebird species include wild turkeys , ruffed grouse , and woodcocks . The area

374-621: The reputation as being the Premier Offroad Racing Series in America. Throughout the 90s the series would still grow more and more. With domination on the bike side by riders such as Scott Summers, Scott Plessinger and Rodney Smith, while Barry Hawk dominated the ATV side, the series gained even more mainstream coverage in various media. The series patriarch, Dave Coombs, died in 1998 but Big Dave's family stepped up to continue

396-546: The rugged race. Eventually, Blackwater would become known as "America's Toughest Race". Dave also promoted the first ever AMA National Hare Scramble , which was held at High Point Raceway in 1979. With the popularity of this event and the Blackwater, the Wiseco 100 Miler Series was born. The series would then evolve into the GNCC series beginning with the 1984 season. The GNCC series began experiencing more growth when three-wheelers were added in 1983, and four-wheelers replaced them

418-448: The success of the series. His son-in-law, Jeff Russell, the 1991 AMA National Enduro Champion, is today's GNCC Trail Boss. GNCC Racing has evolved from small, regional races to professional-grade events that attract professional and amateur riders from across the world. Growth in the professional ranks prompted the changes from one single "Pro" class to multiple professional rank classes beginning in 2007. Professional ATV classes consist of

440-584: The sulfite reaction can dissolve metals such as iron , aluminum , and magnesium . By 2004, the combination of acid and dissolved metals drainage had destroyed or damaged about 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of streams in Appalachia , including the Blackwater River and streams in its watershed. Restoration of the Blackwater River watershed was a costly and complex task involving two large projects. The Douglas Highwall Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Project installed 16,000 tons (14,400 tonnes) of limestone in

462-657: The time. Canaan Valley NWR was initially approved following an Environmental Impact Statement on May 30, 1979. APS appealed the Corps' decision all the way to the Supreme Court , which in 1988 declined to hear the case, thus clearing the way for creation of the refuge. About 86 acres (350,000 m ) were purchased in the valley to establish the refuge on July 11, 1994. Another 12,000 acres (48 km ) were purchased from APS in 2002. With other additions, most recently 120 acres in 2008 and 325 acres (1 km ) in 2011,

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484-637: The world. Each year an Overall Champion is crowned for both the bikes and ATVs. Blackwater River (West Virginia) The Blackwater River is a 34.3-mile-long (55.2 km) river in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia , USA. Via the Black Fork , it is a principal tributary of the Cheat River . Via the Cheat, the Monongahela and the Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of

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