Friends of Blackwater has some exciting news! This summer, we began the process of working with the DEP and will soon start working with an engineer to design and construct a passive treatment system in the Beaver Creek watershed to treat Seep 100-2. For the past four years, FOB has been conducting water monitoring, testing dissolved metals, cleaning up litter in the watershed, supporting the restoration work of other organizations around Beaver Creek, and promoting the area as a great recreational site. Last year, we completed and submitted the Beaver Creek Watershed Based Plan to the EPA. This laid out the coal mining history, environmental issues, and proposed restoration projects for the Beaver Creek Watershed. The EPA approved our plans and application for the first restoration project.
This particular seep receives acidity from mine spoils that litter the watershed, left there by mining operations that abandoned them over 50 years ago. The water that we’ll be treating as an average pH of 2.9- the same pH of lemon juice! Thousands of pounds of dissolved heavy metals will be removed before they enter Beaver Creek with the passive treatment system that will be constructed next year.
If you’d like to learn more about this project, including how to volunteer during water monitoring days,contact Emmie Cornell, our watershed project director, at emmie@saveblackwater.org.
