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Remediation of Abandoned Mine Lands |
With the inception of the Raccoon Creek Partnership in the late 1990’s, AMD projects were implemented with the purpose of restoring the ecological integrity of Little Raccoon Creek. To date, a total of five large-scale AMD treatment projects have been implemented and acid loads have been reduced by 4,700 pounds per day. Aquatic life recovery has been most notable in the lower 13 river miles, where net-alkalinity, total iron, and total aluminum water quality criteria are met. Between river miles 18 – 24 where the majority of AMD sources originate, biological improvement has occurred but is far from attaining Ohio EPA criteria for warm-water habitat. Chemical and habitat data show high total aluminum and iron concentrations in this reach, which is likely preventing full ecological recovery through direct toxicity to organisms and by flocculents impairing substrate habitat. . Reducing metal concentrations must be an integral part of future AMD treatment projects to enhance biological communities in Little Raccoon Creek.
Benny K. McCament, Ohio University Currently the Raccoon Creek Watershed Coordinator at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. Ben holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Findlay,Ohio (1997) and M.S. in Environmental Studies from Ohio University (2004. He has seven years of experience in the watershed field in Southeast Ohio from chemical and biological studies to implementing acid mine drainage treatment projects.
Jen R. Bowman, Ohio University Jennifer Bowman received both her Master of Science degree in Environmental Geochemistry (2000) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geology (1997) from Ohio University. She currently works at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University as an Environmental Projects Manager. She has worked on a variety of projects including; conducting water quality investigations, teaching Level II chemical water quality trainings as part of Ohio’s Volunteer Monitoring Program, and developing an evaluation system for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources Management (ODNR-DMRM) to track successes of acid mine drainage remediation.