Shamokin Creek, located in central Pennsylvania’s Northumberland County, is heavily impacted by abandoned mine drainage (AMD) from historical anthracite coal mining activity. Even though the mining occurred approximately 30 miles upstream of Shamokin Creek’s confluence with the Susquehanna River near the City of Sunbury, Shamokin Creek still causes iron hydroxide staining at that confluence.

Mine Pool Outfalls and Water Quality

The heavy volume of flow from four mine pool outfalls — Excelsior, Scott, Henry Clay Sterling, and Cameron — around the Shamokin area combine to contribute approximately 28 million gallons per day (MGD) on average to Shamokin Creek, and up to 76 MGD after high precipitation events. Ferrous oxide and sulphuric acid from the AMD and subsequent chemical reactions not only affect water quality and pH levels, but also settle on the creek beds, smothering out plant and animal life. The Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance (SCRA) was founded 30 years ago to help advance and coordinate remediation of AMD across the Shamokin Creek Watershed. Kleinfelder partnered with SCRA to investigate and propose remediation plans for Shamokin Creek along its 32-mile mainstem.

Investigation and Remediation Plans

Kleinfelder’s remediation plans began with a comprehensive investigation of current conditions, including outfall data collection and mine pool mapping. A major goal of this project is to determine where to capture and convey mine pools to centralized plants that could treat multiple discharges. Data collection, including pressure transducers in the mine pools, are being used to monitor the changing water depths over a hydrologic year, informing the placement of treatment plants and pump stations, siting of conveyance lines, injection sites of treatment plant iron residuals, and if water storage can be created within the mine pool to lessen the max flows allowing for easier and more effective treatment plant operations. With this data in hand, Kleinfelder’s professionals are forming a discharge conveyance plan and sludge disposal plan. Along with designing the treatment process and active treatment plant (ATP) to remediate AMD, Kleinfelder also is performing a real estate analysis for the ATP siting and pipe conveyance. These ongoing efforts will lead to providing estimated costs for design and construction of the APT, as well as a development report to inform decision-making.

Project Results

This project aims to provide informed, comprehensive designs for active AMD treatment plants that can treat multiple outfalls conveyed to them for the ultimate goal of improving the quality of Shamokin Creek through the City of Shamokin and the 32 miles of mainstem currently listed as impaired to its confluence with the Susquehanna River.

Project Details

Location:
City of Shamokin and Coal Township, PA
Owner:
Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance