The Whiteside Run restoration project: Wetlands and stream mitigation and restoration of a previously polluted stream

Conference · Thu Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:361659

Bigatel, A; Hellier, W W ^[1]; Forman, J G ^[2]; Kepler, S ^[3]

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1. Bureau of Mining and Reclamation, Hawk Run, PA (United States)
2. Environmental Research Service, Altoona, PA (United States)
3. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Bellefonte, PA (United States)

An 841,000 m{sup 3} coal refuse pile from the operation of a now abandoned Lower Kitanning (B) coal deep mine had been the source of over 95% of the mine drainage pollution in Whiteside Run, a tributary of Moshannon Creek in Gulich and Woodward Townships, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Representative water quality upstream of the refuse pile was: pH = 6.9; alkalinity = 31 and acidity = 0 mg/L as CaCO{sub 3} equivalent; [Fe] = 0.85 mg/L; [Mn] = 0.31 mg/L; and [Al] = 0.25 mg/L. Representative water quality downstream of the refuse pile before th project was: pH = 3.0; alkalinity = 0 and acidity = 358 mg/L as CaCO{sub 3} equivalent; [Fe] = 7.08 mg/L; [Mn] = 0.81 mg/L; and [Al] = 46.86 mg/L. Present downstream water quality is: pH = 5.9; alkalinity = 14.3 and acidity = 8.1 mg/L as CaCO{sub 3} equivalent; [Fe] = 1.57 mg/L; [Mn] = 0.92 mg/L; and [Al] = 0.97 mg/L. There has been a significant improvement in the diversity of aquatic life since the project was undertaken. Power Operating Co., Inc., a local coal mining company, applied for authorization to conduct coal mining activities which would affect a wetland with an area of 1.7 ha and 790 m of an unnamed tributary of Moshannon Creek. Although part of this wetland was anthropogenic, having developed because earlier mining activities by others had affected the channel of the unnamed tributary of Moshannon Creek, the major portion of the area was a natural wetland. Power Operating developed 2.6 ha (6.5 ac) of constructed wetlands to replace the wetland disturbed by mining. The refuse pile was removed and placed in the backfilled area of Power`s adjacent surface mine permit, and the mitigation wetland was constructed on the area formerly occupied by the refuse pile. As a result, 6.4 km (4 mi) of formerly polluted stream are now capable of supporting fish.

• OSTI ID: 361659
• Report Number(s): CONF-9805185--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
COAL MINING
LAND RECLAMATION
PENNSYLVANIA
SPOIL BANKS
STREAMS
SURFACE MINING
WATER QUALITY
WATER RECLAMATION
WETLANDS