Chartiers Greenway Abandoned Mine Drainage

MEASURE IMPACT OF AMD INFLOWS

Table 1 Summary of Average Discharge Characteristics
DISCHARGE	Flow gpm	pH	Net Acidity mg/L	Fe mg/L	Al mg/L	Mn mg/L	Fe Load kg/day	Acid Load kg/day
In-Stream Limits		6 - 9		1.5	0.75	1.0
Whiskey Run	170	4.4	72	20	0.9	0.8	18	66
Hope Hollow	250	5.3	123	58	1.7	0.8	163	347
Scrubgrass	170	6.1	-42	67	<0.5	0.6	63	-39
Woodville	120	6.2	-34	70	<0.5	0.9	47	-23
McLaughlin Run	230	5.4	112	66	3.7	0.8	84	142
Coal Run	910	6.6	-357	32	<0.5	0.5	158	-1767
Wingfield Pines	1500	6.7	-401	14	<0.5	0.3	114	-3278
Presto-Sygan	420	5.5	85	40	12.9	1.3	92	195
Gladden	1430	5.8	74	79	0.8	1.0	615	576
TOTAL	5470						1354	-3781

In aggregate the discharges are net alkaline, adding about 3,781 kg (8,500 lb)/day of alkalinity to Charters Creek. This explains why the main channel maintains a circumneutral pH of 8.0. Locally however, there are acidity problems in about 6 miles of tributaries below the points of discharges. These include the four miles of Millers Run, one mile of McLaughlin and about two miles of Whiskey and Georges Run (Hope Hollow). They add about 1354 kg of iron loading per day, or (3000lb)/day of pollutant discharge.

Table 2 Mine Drainage Summary
	Average Flow gpm	Low Flow gpm	High Flow gpm	Recharge Area acres	Average Flow/ Recharge Area gpm/acre
Whiskey Run	170	150	180	1080	0.16
Hope Hollow	520	450	600	2550	0.20
Scrubgrass/Woodville	290	240	400	4400	0.07
McLaughlin Run	230	160	300	1700	0.13
Coal Run	910	350	1210	N/A	N/A
Wingfield Pines	1500	1500	1500	1300	1.15
Presto-Sygan	420	175	775	3400	0.12
Gladden	1430	1075	3230	1600	0.89

PRIORITIZE THE DISCHARGES

Contaminant Loading
- measured rates (pounds per day of pollution)

Bar graph of Fe (iron) loading from each discharge site

The Gladden discharge into Millers Run is responsible for this iron loading, as the bar graph above illustrates. The Gladden discharge is responsible for 60 % of the iron loading and 70% of the acidity loading to Chartiers Creek in this section of the stream. Besides degrading 3 miles of Millers Run, the Gladden discharge degrades the entire Chartiers Creek downstream of Millers Run. This is where the Chartiers acquires its characteristic brown color. Cleaning up Chartiers Creek must include the remediation of the Gladden AMD.

The bar graph below dramatically illustrates that the Presto-Sygan discharge contributes 87% of the aluminum loading to Chartiers Creek, increasing Chartier's instream concentration of aluminum.

Bar graph of aluminum (Al) loading from each discharge site

Impact on Stream Water Chemistry

Graph of in stream iron (Fe) concentration in Chartiers Creek

In stream iron concentration (Fe) for Chartiers Creek peaks at the confluence with Millers Run tributary as shown in the graph, above. Warm Water Fishery in-stream limit for iron concentration is 1.5 mg/L, as shown by the yellow line. Chartiers Creek is out of compliance from Miller's Run, affecting all downstream chemistry and aesthetics. Wingfield is the first discharge to affect the Chartiers, and Allegheny Land Trust has a plan in place to remediate this discharge. A Growing Greener grant to the South Fayette Conservation Group, funded by the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation to seal the mine entrance and rebuild the stream channel at Fishing Run should reduce the Gladden discharge.

Warm Water Fishery in-stream limit for aluminum concentration is 0.75 mg/L, as shown by the yellow line in the graph, below, of in-stream aluminum concentration (Al) for Chartiers Creek. After Gladden, Presto-Sygan is the second largest source of pollution in the lower watershed. Combined with Millers Run, it creates a significant impact on Chartiers Creek.

In stream aluminum (Al) concentrations in Chartiers Creek

MEASURE IMPACT OF AMD INFLOWS

PRIORITIZE THE DISCHARGES

Contaminant Loading - measured rates (pounds per day of pollution)

Impact on Stream Water Chemistry

back to dividing the watershed into restorable segments

Contaminant Loading
- measured rates (pounds per day of pollution)