Regional estimates of acid mine drainage impact on streams in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6285160

Herlihy, A T; Kaufmann, P R; Mitch, M E; Brown, D D

Environmental Protection Agency conducted the National Stream Survey (NSS) to provide unbiased estimates of the numbers and distribution of acidic and low acid neutralizing capacity streams in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The NSS employed a probability sample of 500 stream reaches to represent a target population of 64,300 stream reaches in the study area. All NSS samples were screened for acid mine drainage (AMD) influences, and population estimates of the regional extent of AMD impacts were made. Almost 10% of the streams reaches in the Northern Appalachians subregion were acidic during spring baseflow due to AMD. The population estimates of mine drainage impact made in the NSS were similar to estimates made in previous surveys that attempted to census all of the streams in coal producing areas. The results demonstrate that a statistically based stream survey is a useful tool for evaluating regional water quality.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR (USA). Environmental Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6285160
• Report Number(s): PB-91-116731/XAB; EPA--600/J-90/193
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
ACID NEUTRALIZING CAPACITY
ACIDIFICATION
APPALACHIAN BASIN
CHEMISTRY
COAL MINING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MINING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER POLLUTION