I may have the opportunity for a new job in Morgantown, WV. Does anyone here know much about building challenges there, such as rocks impeding basement construction? Or agriculture - is the soil good or poor in that area? Any other info on the city/area would be helpful. Thanks!
You are surrounded by Mountains, and WV. is mostly mountains with steep inclines. That why land is still cheap there. There are som level spots but they come at a nice price lots of time. But it is a nice state for hunting.
Kevin
This must qualify as "any info" Joni Mitchell wrote a song about it - Morning Morgantown. at least I think it was that Morgantown.
Released Nov. 30, 1969
http://www.last.fm/music/Joni+Mitchell/Ladies+of+the+Canyon?autostart
Thanks for the info, Kevin. And for the groovy music, Glenn :)
If we move there, I'm hoping for a spot that's not totally level so we can use an elevated rainwater cistern for a ram pump into the house. So hills are okay...as long as it's cheap!
I changed buses there once. During the wait found a bookstore selling shape-note hymnals, bought one that had "Watchman, Tell Me" in it.
This was the mid-60's, though.
The ram pump wastes most of the water as it bypasses to make pressure to send the small amount to the higher level. Off grid there are small DC pumps that would pump it all up hill or if you are lucky you may be able to gravity down to the house. I guess you could ram pump a bit to a higher level and catch the bypass water in a cistern and pump it higher with power when needed
I had the Joni Mitchell album when it first came out -- I used to sing along but could only hit the high notes when riding the bicycle with the non-ergonomic seat. :-/
Morgantown is quite nice, Cheat Lake is right on the edge of the city which is quite nice. It is hilly but not mountainous. I am building about 1.5 hours away the property around here is $1500 an acre while it is $30k just 30 minutes away. If you don't need to be in the city itself look into Preston County it is alot more rural than Monongahalia County.