KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – West Virginia Governor Jim Justice says a major improvement project is now complete in the Kanawha State Forest.

According to the governor, the Kanawha State Forest stream restoration project has finally been completed.

Justice says this project was among those announced in 2020, and included removing the Davis Creek dam, reverting the waterway back to a natural fishery. He says the dam was originally built in 1930.

According to the governor, by removing the dam, the creek now has more than a mile of fishery compared to the 1,000 feet it previously had available. He also says they will soon be stocking trout in the waterway.

“A lot of good things are going on right in our back door at the Kanawha State Forest,” Justice said. “We’re going to invite a lot of people to come out and absolutely enjoy that great, great state park.”

Justice added that the new project also provided more piers to the area, which he says are also wheelchair accessible.

This announcement comes just a day after the governor announced improvements planned for Coopers Rock State Forest will include the state’s first-ever star-gazing cabins. West Virginia State Parks officials announced in March 2023 that the main overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest will be closed until further notice for another improvement project to build a new pedestrian bridge to replace the current bridge, which is in need of “structural repairs.”