Widmyer Elementary School Wetlands
Widmyer Elementary School was built in the floodplain of Warm Springs Run, destroying the wetlands at the south end of the property. Without the wetlands, runoff from the surrounding steep hills increased the frequency and severity of flooding, especially at Berkeley Springs High School, located downstream of the elementary school. In 2009, the Eastern Panhandle Conservation Agency, in partnership with the Morgan County School Board, reestablished the wetlands.
Wetlands typically have three characteristics: soggy soils, water-loving plants, and standing water. In addition, they provide habitat for frogs, salamanders, and small fish, as well as a nesting site for red-winged blackbirds. Wetlands naturally control stormwater. Known as the “kidneys of the earth,” wetlands operate on the standard principles of green stormwater management: stormwater runoff is captured in ponds and absorbed and filtered by the soil.
In 2019 and 2020, WSWA received Stream Partner grant funds to install a boardwalk and three benches to make the area more accessible and inviting to the general public.
Members of the local Boy Scout troop installed a bridge over the Run, allowing easier access to a meadow seeded with native wildflowers.
Local artist Mary Klotz provided signage informing people about the importance of wetlands to the community.
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