By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
managing editor

KEYSER — A graduate student from West Virginia University who spent his summer last year logging wells and springs along Knobley Mountain is back in the field this summer working on flow measurements along the streams in the area.
Under the direction of Joe Donovan, hydrogeologist and professor in the Department of Geology and Geography at WVU, student Kevin Rega worked for most of the summer last year speaking with property owners along the mountain and studying and logging the wells and springs as part of a study requested by the Mineral County Commission.
At the time, Rega was paid $5,000 for his work, which was to serve as a precursor to a larger and more comprehensive study of alternative water resources in the county which the officials hope will be useful in the event of future development.
This summer, although the county had no further funding available, the Hydrogeology Research Center has permitted Rega to continue his research.
The county officials hope to eventually be able to secure enough funding to complete the more comprehensive study, which would incorporate Rega's data.
“My efforts this summer have been focused on measuring the flow of water at points
along select streams in the mountain,” Rega told the officials Tuesday during their regular commission meeting.
So far, Rega has been concentrating on the Nancy Hanks, Grayson Gap, and Limestone Run areas.
“The stream along Waxler Road will be measured this coming week,” he said.
“Following the stream flow measurements, the flow of springs located last summer and new ones discovered this summer will be recorded. These springs feed the smaller streams of the mountain,” he explained.
Rega further explained that, by measuring the water flows, he will be able to identify where water is entering and leaving the groundwater system.
“The eventual goal is to take these measurements and construct a ground water flow model,” he said. “The finished model would display in map form how much water is there and where it is going within the mountain.”
Rega said once he has completed his work this summer, “any future study would involve the chemistry of the water” to determine what minerals and other solubles are in the surface water and ground water.
Commission President Wayne Spiggle expressed his gratitude for Donovan and WVU “allowing us to continue this study despite the difficulty of getting a grant.
“I applaud Dr. Donovan for not allowing this program to lapse into a coma because of a funding glitch,” he said.
In other business which came before the commission:
 - Paperwork was signed to enable the county to administer a $30,229 Justice Assistant Grant (JAG) to be used to fund the school resource officer position at Frankfort High School.
 - Paperwork was signed to accept a $22,800 Court Security Fund Grant from the Supreme Court of Appeals.
 - The West Virginia Regional Jail bill for June was noted as $58,034.13.