An assessment of abandoned coal mine effects on the macroivertebrate and fish communities within a southwestern Pennsylvania stream

Background/Question/Methods

Undergraduate researchers collaborated with a grass roots watershed organization (Greater Redstone Clearwater Initiative) to investigate the negative effects of a large mine on Redstone Creek in Southwestern Pennsylvania, a state that has over 4,000 kilometers of acidified streams.  The objective of the first phase (year one) of this project was to collect biotic (fish and benthic macroinvertebrates) and physicochemical (iron, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, conductivity, alkalinity, and temperature) data from one site upstream and two sites downstream of the mine’s discharge, prior to the installation of an iron filtration system at the mine site scheduled to occur in 2010.  

Results/Conclusions

Phase one results indicated that the diversity of both the fish and benthic macroinvertebrate communities were greater upstream compared to the two downstream sites.  Additionally, a large percent of the fish collected downstream were parasitized.  Total nitrogen, total phosphorus, oxygen and pH values were highest upstream, while iron concentrations in sediment and conductivity were greatest downstream.  The mean dissolved iron concentrations were also significantly greater at the downstream sites (13.18 mg/L and 11.25 mg/L).  Such high concentration of iron and other metals can alter normal physiological functions in macroinvertebrates and fish.  For phase two of this project we will duplicate our sampling and analysis processes after the installation of an abandoned mine drainage system.  Long-term monitoring of these three sites will help us to evaluate the success of our stream management plans as well as the effectiveness of the selected iron-filtration system.