Overview of Hydrologic and Geologic Investigations Conducted in Canaan Valley, West Virginia

Abstract Canaan Valley (hereafter, the Valley), a unique wetland complex set in the Allegheny Highlands of northeastern West Virginia, has been the subject of several investigations by the US Geological Survey (USGS). These projects include studying the surface-water hydrology and processes affecting dissolved oxygen, groundwater hydrology, wetland biogeochemistry, and the formation of peat. Additionally, recent revisions of the region's geologic maps have enhanced our understanding of the Valley's surface rocks. The Valley's streams typically conduct dilute calcium- and magnesium-bicarbonate type waters that are low in alkalinity, nutrients, and dissolved solids. The Blackwater River and its major tributaries, the Little Blackwater River and the North Branch of the Blackwater River, are low-gradient streams. Other tributaries are high-gradient streams that originate on the Valley's sides and fall rapidly to the Valley floor before joining the Blackwater River and the major tributaries. Generally, low-gra...