NONPOINT SOURCE SUCCESS STORY
Treating Acid Mine Drainage Allows Aquatic Life to Rebound in Kanes Creek
Waterbodv Improved Acid mine drainage
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pH at Mouth
Year
Results
Kanes Creek—WVSCI
Figure 2. Trends in pH (top), iron (middle) and the WVSCI
(bottom) index over time show improvements. Dotted lines in
the pH (6) and iron (1.5 mg/L) plots indicate state criteria for
those parameters.
The lowest reach of Kanes Creek has met water
quality standards for AMD parameters, including
pH and total iron, more than 90 percent of the
time since April 2010 (Figure 2). An impoundment
2.5 miles from the mouth had a pH level near 4.0
when Kanes Creek was placed on the CWA section
303(d) list in 1998; since 2010, this site has met pH
standards in excess of 6.0 approximately 20 percent
of the time.
Recent fish surveys have found creek chub, yel-
low bullhead catfish and green sunfish in sections
of the stream where no fish were found before
2006. Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling yielded
six individuals per square meter in 2003. Similar
sampling in 2012 yielded 275 organisms per square
meter. Total taxa, which is the total number of fami-
lies, improved 58.8 percent from 2007 to 2012.
The West Virginia Stream Condition Index (WVSCI)
is a family-level index for biological integrity for
benthics that incorporate six different metrics.
WVSCI scores in Kanes Creek have fluctuated over
the years but the trend shows an overall improve-
ment. The 2012 scores are only slightly below the
threshold for biological impairment.
Lastly, although AMD has a major impact on Kane
Creek, other factors such as changes in habitat and
hydrologic conditions also have greatly influenced
the benthic communities. With additional evaluation
of existing water quality data and potentially more
sampling, West Virginia hopes for Kanes Creek to
be delisted in the near future.
Partners and Funding
WVDEP conducted its projects with support
($1.8 million) from the U.S. Office of Surface Mining
(OSM) and the Natural Resources Conservation
Service. FODC conducted its projects with support
from CWA section 319 funds ($613,000), OSM's
Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program
($463,000) and an EPA Brownfield Assessment
Grant ($74,000).
I
5
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
& Washington, DC
UJ
(9
EPA841-F-15-001WW
November 2015
For additional information contact:
Nicholas Revetta, Water Remediation Project Manager
Friends of Deckers Creek
Nick@DeckersCreek.org • 304-292-3970
Martin Christ, Northern Basin Coordinator
WV Department of Environmental Protection
Martin.J.Christ@WV.gov • 304-368-2000 ext. 3736
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