Homemade kayak perched by the water, Kirk was about to be joined by boaters from the WVDOT and state Division of Natural Resources (DNR) for a test ride on the recently reopened Jug section of Middle Island Creek in Tyler County, an approximately four-mile loop of the creek that begins and ends within about a hundred feet of itself.
It was a section of waterway, part of the Jug Wildlife Management Area in Middlebourne, that had been cut off for decades.
“I’m really excited about having this inaugural float trip around the jug handle,” said Kirk. “We get 3 ½ miles of scenery. So this is awesome.”
There’s about a 13-foot drop from where Middle Island Creek begins its loop to where it meets itself again.
Settlers concluded the site would be an excellent spot for a mill, and the creek was diverted.
By the late 19th century, almost all of the water was going down the bank instead of around the loop.
A dam was built in 1947, restoring some of the flow of water to Middle Island Creek’s original course. But the area remained inaccessible to vehicles.
Even so, anglers, boaters, and hunters were familiar with the area.
“Middle Island Creek is a great fishery,” Kirk said. “There’s giant fish in here.”
Officials with the DNR and WVDOT decided to restore access to the Jug Wildlife Management Area.
In February 2025, Brayman Construction Corporation was awarded a contract for $3,056,928.82 to build a new low water crossing and flood control structure on Middle Island Creek.
The structure includes spillways and six concrete steps to slow the flow of water during times of flooding.
But it also makes it easy to get to the Jug.
On a creek or a river, kayakers ordinarily paddle downstream. They then either have to paddle back to where they started – against the current – or have someone meet them at the end of the trip to pick them up.
“This eliminates the shuttle,” Kirk said. “You put in and take out at the same place. I think it’s going to be helpful for the community, and for folks that like to come and fish.
“We need to be stewards of the land we live on,” Kirk said. “Our families are here. We want to have clean water to drink. We want to have places where we can recreate, hunt, and fish, and all that.”
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