West Virginia Code Chapter 54. Eminent Domain § 54-2-3. Notice; riparian owner affected by taking of water

Of such application ten days' notice shall be served on the owners, claimants and persons holding liens, whose interests the applicant seeks to condemn, and the notice may be given either before the petition is presented or afterwards. But where the owners of the real estate proposed to be taken or the persons holding such liens or conflicting claims, or any of them, are nonresidents of the state or their whereabouts is unknown, or they are unknown to the applicant, or there be any persons made parties defendant by the general description of parties unknown as provided in section two of this article, the notice as to them, instead of being thus served, may be given by advertisement containing (by reference to a plat filed for the purpose in the office of the clerk of the circuit court or otherwise) a specific description of the property in which they are interested that is proposed to be taken, and stating the purpose to which it is intended to be appropriated, and the time and place at which a hearing will be asked upon the application, which advertisement shall be published as a Class II legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be the county.

Where water is to be taken as authorized in section ten, article one of this chapter, notice to riparian owners having lands below the point at which the water is proposed to be taken, and likely to be affected thereby, shall be given by publishing the same as a Class II legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be the county. Any such riparian owner may come into court or before the judge of such court in vacation, on the return day of the notice and publication, make himself a party to the proceedings and have his rights passed upon by the commissioner and his damage, if any, ascertained, allowed and paid as in this chapter provided for the taking of lands.