USGS Coal-Mine-Drainage Projects in Pennsylvania
The Stonycreek River and Little Conemaugh River Acid Mine Drainage Study
Problem:
The quality of water in the Stonycreek and Little Conemaugh Rivers (Ohio
River Basin), which drain parts of Somerset and Cambria Counties, Pa., has been
severely degraded by AMD from abandoned bituminous coal mines. A watershed-wide
inventory and evaluation of the locations, quality, and flow rates of discharges are needed
to determine appropriate remedial actions and priorities.
Collaborators:
USGS-WRD is working with the Somerset Conservation District, with
matching funds from the Federal-State Cooperative Program.
Activities:
During April 1992-November 1994, a synoptic survey was conducted; 270
coal-mine discharges were located, sampled, and ranked (prioritized) with respect to their
loading capacity on the receiving stream. A prioritization index also was established for all
mine discharges in six subbasins of the Stonycreek River Basin that were moderately to
severely affected by AMD. In addition to the synoptic survey of mine discharges in the
watershed, 37 stream-water sites were sampled during base-flow conditions. The
following data were entered into a GIS data base for the Stonycreek River watershed:
topography, geology, hydrography, drainage basin boundaries, land use, special
protection waters, wetlands, State game lands, municipal boundaries, roads, and water
quality for streams and discharges. The final report "Effects of coal-mine discharges on
the quality of the Stonycreek River and its tributaries, Somerset and Cambria Counties,
Pennsylvania" was published as USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4133.
The report presents the data that were collected during the study, prioritizes the 270 mine
discharges with respect to their loading capacity on the receiving streams, and describes
the effects of acidic mine drainage on the quality of water in the Stonycreek River and its
tributaries.
Related Report:
Assessment of Characteristics and Remedial Alternatives for Abandoned Mine Drainage: Case Study at Staple Bend Tunnel Unit of Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Cambria County
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