Remediation

Since the organization began in 1994, Mountain Watershed Association has restored 70% of Indian Creek, reducing the length of impaired stream miles in the watershed from 47 miles to 14. The first abandoned mine discharge treatment system was developed in the Indian Creek watershed in 2001. Since then, we have developed 5 treatment systems to divert contaminated mine water, filter out pollutants, and direct the cleaned water back into the stream.

A Brief Explanation of Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD)

Coal extraction from both surface and deep mines exposes rock layers that contain minerals, such as iron, aluminum, and manganese. When these minerals are exposed to water and air, they can become dissolved in water and create a chemical reaction, sometimes coloring the water red (iron), white (aluminum), or have no effect on the water clarity and color. 

This metal-rich water can flow from runoff on surface mines and seeps from abandoned underground mines that fill with water over time. The Indian Creek watershed is impacted by dozens of abandoned underground coal mines that leach contaminated water from the mine pool into the mainstem and tributary streams of Indian Creek. We typically refer to this as abandoned mine drainage, or AMD. If left untreated, chronic pollution from AMD will impair or kill much of the aquatic life within streams.

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Our Abandoned Mine Discharge Projects

Abandoned coal mines, some taken out of commission over 100 years ago, are a major source of pollution impacting stream health in the Indian Creek watershed. MWA has developed a number of projects to implement treatment systems that remediate areas impacted by abandoned mine discharges. Click on the pictures to learn more about each remediation project.

News & Updates

What is MWA? A quick breakdown.

July 25, 2020

How it all began… The Mountain Watershed Association (MWA) is a grassroots community-based organization with its roots in the Indian Creek Watershed (a sub-basin of the Youghiogheny River), located in…

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The Story of Kalp

July 22, 2020

As those of us doing the work of mine drainage remediation know, our projects need a whole lot of oversight and maintenance, repair and refurbishment.  We do not necessarily expect…

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Why is Indian Creek Flowing Red?

July 8, 2020

Photo shows the path of the rogue discharge immediately after it enters a clean Indian Creek. In June, MWA received several complaints of visibly polluted water in Indian Creek, seen…

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