FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – After years of concerns from residents and visitors about deteriorating conditions at Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area, major improvements are now well underway.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) provided an extensive update to local legislators this week detailing ongoing projects at the popular outdoor recreation site.
The DNR’s Game Management Unit reported a range of upgrades and maintenance projects completed between 2024 and 2025.
A new Wildlife Resource Specialist was hired in October 2024, and a labor payroll position was renewed in early 2025 to focus on groundskeeping, trash pickup, and campground maintenance.
Construction is in progress on a new headquarters and storage building, with doors and windows installed and interior work ongoing.
The project is expected to be completed by spring 2026, with a total cost of $1.16 million.
Additional upgrades include painting storage buildings, gates, and shelters, installing new signage at the campground and boat ramps, and resurfacing boundary signs over the past two years.
Crews have also focused on improving roads and recreational facilities.
Over $5,000 was spent on access roads and boat ramps in 2024, followed by additional stone applied to the campground and shooting range in 2025. A new cellular security camera has been installed to help law enforcement monitor for vandalism.
The shooting range has undergone a professional evaluation by Potesta and Associates to improve safety and reduce environmental impacts.
Two new range attendants were hired this summer, along with the addition of new gates, signs, and benches.
Food plots totaling 22 acres were planted over the past two years, and pit toilets were upgraded with new paper dispensers in 2024.
Repairs have also been made at campsites, including the installation of new campfire rings, expected to be completed this winter. Hazard trees are being removed around facilities and parking areas at a total cost of $8,850.
In the Fisheries Management Unit, the DNR reported a series of water access and shoreline improvements.
Three new courtesy docks, costing $24,000 in total, were installed at the upper end near Scarbro, the primary boat launch, and the dam.
The handicapped fishing pier near the dam and the floating dock in Doris Branch have been resurfaced, and all three boat ramps have been dredged.
Additional work includes building a kiosk at the main boat launch, clearing brush along shorelines to improve fishing access, and adding new signage to assist law enforcement.
Erosion control measures have been taken with new riprap along walkways and gravel added to the Scarbro access site. New lights have been installed in parking lots, and drainage issues on the roads have been repaired.
Delegate Elliott Pritt (R-Fayette) praised the DNR for its efforts to restore and enhance the area.
“I am very thankful for all the improvements that DNR has made to Plum Orchard, and I am very thankful for the positive working relationship that they have had with us throughout this entire process!” Pritt said.
“They have been open to suggestions, and they have been more than willing to move on certain improvements. That is a big deal!”
The Plum Orchard Lake WMA, located near Pax, is a long-favored destination for fishing, boating, and camping.
