Mine drainage and rock type influences on eastern Ohio stream water quality

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Water Resour. Bull.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1983.tb05936.x· OSTI ID:6502168

Helsel, D R

Stream water during fair weather (base flow) is largely ground water discharge, which has been in contact with minerals of the underlying aquifer. Base flow water quality should therefore reflect aquifer mineralogy as well as upstream land use. Three upstream mining categories (unmined lands, abandoned coal mines, and reclaimed coal mines) differed in pH, specific conductance, sulfate, iron, aluminum, and alkalinity for 122 streams in eastern Ohio. Aquifer rock type influenced pH, specific conductance, sulfate, iron, and alkalinity. Reclamation returned many components of acid mine drainage to near unmined levels, although sulfate and specific conductance were not improved. Acid mine drainage problems were less severe in watersheds underlain by the calcareous Monongahela Formation. These results should apply to other Appalachian coal regions having similar rock units. The water quality data distributions were neither consistently normal nor lognormal. Statistical tests utilizing ranks of the water quality data, instead of the data themselves, proved useful in analyzing the influences of mining category and rock type.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Reston, VA
• OSTI ID: 6502168
• Journal Information: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 19:6; ISSN WARBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
COAL MINING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
MINING
POLLUTION
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
SURFACE MINING
WATER POLLUTION
WATER POLLUTION ABATEMENT
WATER QUALITY