Blackwater River Limestone Drum Station
Prior to this reclamation project the Blackwater River was heavily polluted by acid mine drainage. Much of the mining along this stream occurred during the 1960's when reclamation laws required only minimal restoration. The Blackwater River Limestone Drum Station provides treatment with two different methods. A rotary drum system uses six water powered cylinders to grind limestone aggregate into a slurry and provide the main source of treatment. As the river's flow changes the drums automatically adjust their slurry output. The system is designed to add limestone to the river at a dosage rate of 28 ppm. Enlarged Photo (20 KB file)

Doser treatment is used as a backup system for high flows in the river
The second method of treatment is a doser which uses powdered limestone stored in a 50-ton silo. This is actually a backup system for high river flow events and the first of its kind constructed in West Virginia. Operating at maximum capacity, the drum station uses approximately 10 tons of limestone per day. During flood conditions, the doser system is activated bringing the total slurry to nearly 30 tons per day. As the slurried calcium carbonate limestone dissolves it provides alkalinity to neutralize water passing the drum station. In this photo limestone from the doser can be seen mixing with the clear acid water in the river. Enlarged Photo (20KB file)

A 3.5 mile section of the river is stocked annually with trout
The limestone drum station has far exceeded expectations in water quality improvements downstream. Since the station began operation in 1994, the pH downstream increased to nearly 6.0 for the first time in 35 years. Rainbow and brown trout fingerlings were initially stocked in the summer of 1995. Since that time adult trout are also stocked annually. In this photo a helicopter is used to stock fish in sections of the river where access is limited by the narrow gorge. Almost overnight the limestone drum treatment facility turned a formerly dead section of the Blackwater River into a high quality trout fishery. Enlarged Photo (20 KB file)