Putnam County, West Virginia may not quickly come to mind when we think about acid mine drainage (AMD), but the problem certainly exists for Manila and Heizer Creeks located near Poca. Mining in this area occurred prior to environmental considerations, and the two streams suffered the consequences. While Abandoned Mine Lands and the Office of Surface Mining have looked at the problems, members of the Heizer-Manila Watershed Association are working to solve them. My involvement with the Association as an intern with the Office of Surface Mining provided me with the opportunity to investigate methods to treat AMD.

Part of my duties for the watershed association includes stream monitoring. Water quality testing of Manila Creek indicated high amounts of iron and acidity in the stream. It is a consideration with any community project, to look at the long term effects and benefits as carefully as possible. Wetlands seemed to be the answer, at least for some sections of the stream. They provide long term treatment with little or no maintenance. Comparing the cost of other techniques against the potential wetland treatment found that using wetlands to treat AMD far outweigh the cost of other methods. Additional research concluded that wetlands have been found to improve a variety of water quality problems. Armed with this information and additional resources on wetlands provided by Tim Craddock, Environmental Resources Specialist with the Division of Natural Resources, the decision was made to develop a pilot project using the existing wetland to treat AMD (Picture 1).

The potential long term benefits of wetlands include a cleaner release of mine drainage (increased alkalinity and reduced iron contents in the stream), a place of interest and learning for the community, and improved wildlife habitat. Another important factor was that a wetland project could be constructed in a non-invasive manner. The location to construct and restore the wetland is another important part of the success of the project. Having the project in a public area where people could see the results would increase public awareness about the benefits of wetlands. The decision was made to utilize an existing wetland site bordering the Amherst Plymouth Wildlife Management Area on Manila Creek (Picture 2).

One thing that was not known at the time the project was conceived, was how it would be perceived by the manager of Amherst Plymouth WMA and the Office of Surface Mining. The answer was overwhelmingly positive! Wetlands, when present, are one of the most productive parts of the ecosystem, the lack of them can have a great impact on the overall environmental integrity of an area.

The cost of the restorations was minimal, and in comparison to all other methods, it is virtually pocket change. The biggest investment is the time and labor involved in construction and restoration. A small dike was built around an existing wetland to create additional surface area, and provide a pathway for the impacted stream to flow into the wetland. Native West Virginia wetland species such as cattails, sedges, and rushes were planted to compliment the species already present in the area. A noticeable difference could be seen almost immediately, the once dry area became saturated with water. It may be some time before a true measure of success can be seen, however, preliminary testing show improvements in the water quality (higher pH and lower iron concentrations). Water from mine drainage is now given a chance to be treated before it trails off into the stream. A wetland holds water like a sponge, which is another advantage for treatment. It also helps minimize flooding. After some rain in the area, there has been no impact due to the partial impoundment of the wetland area. It is also important to note that even in one of the driest summers recorded in West Virginia, the wetland area has remained lush and green (Picture 3).

Perhaps it is only natural to consider wetland creation and restoration in areas such as Heizer and Manila Creeks. Past treatment methods have been costly and offered little or no community involvement. The wetland pilot project offered the opportunity to approach the problem of AMD through a low cost, hands-on environmentally friendly method.

Bobby L. Bonnett, Jr.
RR 1, Box 216
Poca, WV 25159
(304) 755-3047
bonnettwv1@yahoo.com

This page was last updated by Tim Craddock on September 25, 2000

The most recent development is a project proposal incorporating a series of constructed wetlands, limestone ditches and settling ponds.  This proposal has been sent to the Office of Surface Mine's, Appalachian Clean Stream Initiative and awaits approval and funding.  If your group or organization would like to assist the Heizer-Manila Watershed by volunteering or by contributing a donation to help with future projects costs, simply send an e-mail to Bobby and Renae Bonnett at the above e-mail address. In your e-mail, write a brief note telling how you or your group would like to contribute and provide your contact information.

Acid mine drainage links: http://amdlinks.members.colleges.com/
Acid Mine Drainage remediation bibliography: http://www.ctcnet.net/scrip/bibliogr.htm
Appalachian Clean Stream Initiative: http://www.osmre.gov/asiplan.htm
Aquatic Environments: http://www.boquetriver.org/adoptaqecosys.html
Assessing the risk of acid mine treatment wetlands: http://www.enviromine.com/wetlands/risk.htm
Constructed Wetlands: http://www.mines.edu/fs_home/jhoran/ch126/construc.htm
Constructed Wetlands for treating Acid Mine Drainage: http://www.hort.agri.umn.edu/h5015/97papers/smith.html
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Ecological Restoration: http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/Ecology/chap3.html
Hands-on Experiments to test for Acid Mine Drainage: http://craddock_t.tripod.com/amd_experiments-html.htm
Land Reclamation: http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/landrec/land.htm
Overview of passive systems to treat Acid Mine Drainage: http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/landrec/passtrt/passtrt.htm
PA Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation: http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/miners/bamr/bamr.htm
Riparian and Wetland Restoration: http://www.denix.osd.mil/denix/Public/Library/Watershed/wqmsec6b.html
Sediment accumulation rates in AMD treatment wetlands: http://www.wes.army.mil/el/workshop/CW3-3.html
Technical Reports from the US Army Corps of Engineers: http://www.wes.army.mil/el/wetlands/list.html
Watershed Groups in WV: http://www.netl.doe.gov/products/watershed/waternet/newsletters/wvgroups.html
WES Environmental Laboratoy: http://www.wes.army.mil/el/wetlands/wetlands.html
Wetland links: http://www.iso.gmu.edu/~thollowe/wetlinks.html
Wetland Management: http://h2osparc.wq.ncsu.edu/info/wetlands/manage.html
 
 
 
 

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