The Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance, with great deal of work by Steve Ulceski, former Northumberland County Conservation District Watershed Specialist,installed the third (semi)passive mine drainage treatment system in the Shamokin Creek watershed at Scarlift Site 23 in the fall of 2004.
The mine water has a pH of approximately 4, dissolved oxygen concentration of approximately 2 mg/L, with high iron, aluminum and manganese concentrations. The flow rate is several hundred gallons per minute, and the metal loading is the 7th highest in the Shamokin Creek watershed.
The project diverts only a portion of the Scarlift Site 23 deep mine discharge, and it is designed to add alkalinity and lower metal loadings. Due to several practical limitations, the system was not designed to completely treat the water.
Funding by US Office of Surface Mining's Clean Streams Initiative. Design assistant by Deitz et al. Consulting. Construction by Moroz Construction. Maintenance assitance by Robert Schell.
Click on images to see larger photographs (courtesy of Steve Ulceski)
