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Mining Land Reclamation Efforts Improve Water Quality in the East
Fork Little Chariton River
Problem
The East Fork Little Chariton River (Waterbody ID
0682) flows south and west through Macon, Howard,
Randolph and Chariton counties in Missouri. The East
Fork Little Chariton River is dammed near the city
of Macon, forming Long Branch Lake, a 2,430-acre
impoundment that provides both flood control and
drinking water for surrounding areas.
Erosion of coal waste areas occurred near coal mines
located throughout the watershed (Figure 1). Erosion
of an area just east of Huntsvilie sent large amounts
of coal wastes into Sugar Creek, a major tributary to
the East Fork Little Chariton River, and spilled coal
wastes onto more than 5 acres of farmland. AMD
and sediment runoff from uncovered coal waste piles
were aggravated by sulfate-rich drainage water from
a flooded underground mine located below the city
of Huntsvi 11e. Based on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
water quality data collected in 2002-2005, the mean
sulfate concentration was just above the 250 m:l-
ligrams per liter (mg/L) criterion for protection of the
public drinking water supply. As a result, a 48.5-mile
segment of the East Fork Little Chariton River was
placed on the 2006 Missouri CWA section 303(d) list of
impaired waters.
Figure 1. Location of coal mines and the AgNPS SALT
project area in the East Fork Little Chariton River
watershed in Missouri.
Macon
County
HUG 102802030202
Hunlsvi
Moberly
ilJC 102802030303 Randolph
County
-HUC 102802030304
Howard
County
Waterbody IrnprON/ed Coal minin§ operations occurred in the East Fork Little Chariton
River Watershed until 1955. Eroding coal waste areas near
Huntsville and in other areas of the watershed resulted in acid mine drainage (AMD) that degraded
water quality in the East Fork Little Chariton River. Missouri identified 48.5 miles of the East Fork
Little Chariton River as impaired by sulfate for the public drinking water supply beneficial use,
causing the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to add this waterbody to Missouri's
2006 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list. Through a collaborative effort with watershed
stakeholders, best management practices were implemented to address mining-related problems.
Because water quality monitoring assessments showed that the public drinking water designated
use had been attained, MDC removed the East Fork Little Chariton River from the Missouri section
303(d) list in 2010.		
Legend
E. Fk. Little Chariton River
Streams
Lakes
03 Adjacent 12-Digit HUC
Subwatersheds
rH State Park
Conservation Area (CA)
County Boundary
Municipal Area
Q3 AgNPS SALT project area
• Coal Mine
1102802030201
Col'my" HUC 1028020302

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Story Highlights
Several projects and activities were implemented by
stakeholders that led to improved water quality in the
East Fork Little Chariton River. Voluntary installation
of conservation practices by landowners was sup-
ported by state and federal soil and water conserva-
tion programs, including a positive response to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP), which removed environmen-
tally sensitive lands from agricultural production and
planted species that improved environmental quality.
Other key projects included:
1.	A 2005 CWA section 319 project, "The Assessment
and Reclamation of Acidic Drainage from Abandoned
Coal Mines near Huntsvilie, Missouri," assessed
the effects of AMD on water quality in Sugar Creek
and its tributaries and recommended options for
remediation.
2.	The MDC mine reclamation project remediated AMD
problems within the 10-acre coal mining area in the
Bee Hollow Conservation Area in 2009.
3.	The Missouri Department of Natural Resources'
(MDNR's) Land Reclamation Program required all
mined lands to be reclaimed to an equal or better
land use capability than existed before the mining
operations. This included covering coal wastes and
other AMD materials with a minimum of 4 feet of
nontoxic material and replacing topsoil. Grazing
of livestock or farming was supported on many of
these reclaimed lands.
4.	The Dark and Sugar Creek Watershed Agricultural
Nonpoint Source Special Area Land Treatment
(AgNPS SALT) Project (see Figure 1) implemented
conservation practices from 2002 to 2009. Practices
were selected in consultation with the Associated
Electric Cooperative Incorporated (AECI) to help
reduce AMD. The AgNPS SALT project covered a
large area that included more than 50 abandoned
coal mines intermingled among the agricultural
lands, including the highest-priority abandoned
mine areas near the city of H untsvi 11 e. The Randolph
County Soil and Water Conservation District empha-
sized the placement of conservation practices on
former mining lands and worked with landowners
to implement practices that would help restore the
land to its pre-mining use.
Sulfate Trends - E. Fk. Little Chariton River
1200
1000
M
E
— 800
c
o
2
c 600
0)
400
200
0
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
Year
• Yearly Averages ® Water Quality Standard	Linear (Yearly Averages)
Figure 2. Sulfate levels in the East Fork Little Chariton River
have declined and consistently meet standards.
Results
Data showed that the mean sulfate value of the East
Fork Little Chariton River was reduced to 227 mg/L
in 2008, as a result of sound planning by watershed
partners; mine reclamation actions by MDNR, MDC
and coal mining companies; conversion of inter-
mingled reclaimed mining lands and cropland areas
to CRP easements; and implementation of select soil
and water conservation practices throughout the
watershed to reduce erosion and runoff of coal wastes
and sediments. As a result, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) approved the delisting of the
East Fork Little Chariton River in 2010. More recent
samples have continued to show that sulfate levels are
steadily declining in the East Fork Little Chariton River
(Figure 2).
Partners and Funding
Key project partners included the MDNR, MDC, USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Farm
Service Agency, USGS, EPA, the U.S. Department of
the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement, AECI, private landowners, and Randolph,
Chariton, Macon, and Howard county soil and water
conservation districts. Three EPA CWA section 319
projects totaling $124,071 supported the watershed
planning and remediation efforts.
^£DSrX
PRO^°
ro
s
o
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-19-001H
February 2019
For additional information contact:
Trish Rielly
Soil and Water Conservation Program
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
573-526-4662 • trish.rielly@dnr.mo.gov

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