GREENBRIER COUNTY: THE PILOT STUDY FOR A WEST VIRGINIA INTERACTIVE KARST INVENTORY MAP

West Virginia is home to large regions of karst development, particularly in the eastern half of the state. As part of an expanding initiative to assess karst features in the state, bedrock mapping in karst areas has recently been a priority of the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES). This foundational mapping has led to the planned development of an online Interactive Karst Inventory Map for West Virginia, similar to resources produced at other state agencies. Expanding interest in karst has repeatedly demonstrated that statewide inventorying of karst features is an asset for many groups, including developers, researchers and municipalities. Karst terrain is increasingly set aside both for public recreation as well as the preservation of natural diversity. However, because these data are frequently held by various groups, compilation of a statewide karst inventory requires leveraging the efforts of government, academic, and private shareholders, all of whom have specific needs and concerns.

As a preliminary step before constructing a statewide map, a smaller area was inventoried from which a map was created. This area corresponds to a region of ten 7.5-minute quadrangles in Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties in southeastern West Virginia. Here, as part of the STATEMAP program, bedrock geology mapping has been completed at the 1:24,000 scale. The study area lies between the Greenbrier River and Droop Mountain and represents some of the most complex karst terrain in the state. The map includes layers for sinkholes, geology, springs, dye traces, karst basins, and karst streams. Future work in conjunction with local and regional speleological surveys may also include non identifiable cave density polygons. Individual layers (sinkholes, streams, etc.) are mapped at the 1:24,000 scale, consistent with bedrock mapping. Additionally, derivative layers have been generated showing feature density at small scales that make these data relevant on the county and statewide scale. The creation of this map will demonstrate a method of conveying karst data in a manner which informs the public while protecting the sensitivity of the karst environment. Lessons learned from this map will be used to inform the upcoming statewide map which will provide a publicly available resource for karst features in the state.