The Northumberland County Conservation District recently completed the first passive mine drainage treatment in the Shamokin Creek watershed. The numerous project partners are listed at the bottom of this page.
Construction at Scarlift Site 42 began
on 11/9, 1999 and was completed in the Fall of 2000. Click to see images from
Before construction (discharge and abandoned strip pit),
11/14 and 11/24/99 (construction),
2/5 and 2/12/00 (construction and steel slag),
3/4 through 9/27/00 (construction, a nice
overview, and problem fixes),
10/4/00 (fish collected by USGS in Carbon
Run; Pond2 dam and stream crossing repair),
6/28/01 (flushing of iron oxides from
the limestone),
wildlife observed at the site, and later system modifications.
Oct-Nov 2006 compost addition.
View chemistry and flow monitoring data from Site 42 and selected Carbon Run stream locations.
Click to see a low-altitude aerial video clip of Site 42 under construction. It may take a while to download this video clip file. A lower resolution clip (shorter download time) can be downloaded by clicking here. This footage provided by Heli-View.
Goals and Objectives
- Obtain flow and chemistry data on Site 42 and other subwatershed discharges - completed Summer 1998
- Obtain biological diversity data on Carbon Run and selected tributaries completed Summer 1998
- Design and construct an experimental passive treatment system at Site 42 to increase pH and remove iron, improving downstream water quality and habitat completed Fall 2000
- Rigorously evaluate wetland sizing criteria at this experimental system; publish results in peer-reviewed journal
- Monitor Site 42 and Carbon Run to measure treatment success. The Spring 2000 Bucknell GEOL 305 class gathered the first two rounds of monitoring data. Geology student Steve Casaleggio monitored the system as part of his senior thesis.
- Inform local residents, groups, and businesses and involve them in this and future projects
Treatment
The treatment system consists of three ponds, beginning with a successive
alkalinity producing system (SAPS) to add alkalinity, followed by a second
constructed oxidation/settling pond (average depth of 1 m). A nearby strip pit pond
was used as a final settling pond for sludge. The total pond area is approximately
1.2 acres.
The SAPS design is experimental. In addition to limestone, part of the water flows through steel slag, allowing the pond pH values to be adjusted. Accurate flow rate measurements can be made at two sets of standpipes.
Bucknell University students conduct research on AMD treatment at this site, and SCRA volunteers will help to monitor the system. The system will be designed to operate with minor maintenance for approximately 25 years.
Funding and support
- Northumberland County Conservation District - project administration
- SCRA - volunteer work, maintenance, repair
- Bucknell University Geology - funding, background data, monitoring, data analysis, research, maintenance, repair
- DEP Bureau of Watershed Management and US Environmental Protection Agency - 319 program funding
- DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation - repairs
- US Office of Surface Mining - funding
- US Natural Resources Conservation Service - mapping
- US Geological Survey - electrofishing survey
- Northumberland County Commissioners - land access
- Damariscotta - design and consulting