Moshannon Creek Watershed Association

THIS AWARD WILL ALLOW OUR ORGANIZATIONS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND CONDITIONS AND REPOSITORIES OF HEALTHY FISH POPULATIONS FOUND IN THE HEADWATERS OF WHAT IS FOR MUCH OF ITS LENGTH, A MINE DEGRADED STREAM. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR HABITAT DEGRADATION OF THE HIGH QUALITY REACHES OF THE UPPER MOSHANNON CREEK WATERSHED WHILE RESTORATION IS UNDERWAY FARTHER DOWNSTREAM. TAKING STEPS TO PREVENT THAT HABITAT DEGRADATION IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT WHICH IS BEING SOUGHT BY THE MOSHANNON CREEK WATERSHED ASSOCIATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIVE FISH COALITION - PENNSYLVANIA UNDER SPONSORSHIP OF THE CLEARFIELD COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT. IT WILL ASSESS SEVERAL THREATS TO THE UPPER WATERSHED AND LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR ADDRESSING OR REMOVING THOSE THREATS AS FUTURE PROJECTS. THESE INCLUDE STUDY AND ASSESSMENT TO INFORM A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR TREATMENT OF KNOWN MINE DISCHARGE MC-FORE, QUANTIFICATION OF LESSER STUDIED DISCHARGE MC2, QUANTIFICATION OF MINE DISCHARGE MC3 AND NEARBY LARGE COAL REFUSE PILE, CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR TREATMENT FOR MC3, STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF MINE DRAINAGE DISCHARGES TO AN UNNAMED HEADWATERS TRIBUTARY, AND SEARCHING FOR AND STUDYING ANY PREVIOUSLY UNIDENTIFIED MINE DRAINAGE SOURCES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED. THE KEYSTONE DELIVERABLE FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE THE DESIGN AND PERMITTING FOR THE FUTURE CONSTRUCTION OF A TREATMENT SYSTEM TO ADDRESS THE MC-FORE DISCHARGE, WHICH POSES A DIRECT THREAT TO THE CLASS A HEADWATERS OF MOSHANNON CREEK. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO RESULT IN A FINAL REPORT THAT WILL ASSESS THE IMPACTS AND DRIVE THE PRIORITIZATION OF ADDRESSING THE OTHER MINE DISCHARGES BEING STUDIED, INCLUDING MC2, MC3, THOSE ON THE UNNANMED HEADWATERS TRIBUTARY, AND ANY OTHERS THAT MAY BE UNCOVERED. AS PART OF THAT REPORT, A CONCEPTUAL TREATMENT PLAN WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR THE MC3, THOUGH ANY FUTURE CONSTRUCTION TO ADDRESS THAT DISCHARGE WILL HAVE TO AWAIT THE ULTIMATE DISPOSITION OF THE REFUSE PILE.

THE MOSHANNON CREEK WATERSHED ASSOCIATION (MCWA) IS APPLYING FOR AN OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING WATERSHEDCOOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROGRAM (WCAP) NOT-FOR-PROFIT ACID MINE DRAINAGE (AMD) RECLAMATION PROJECT GRANT TO CARRYOUT REHABILITATION WORK ON THE EXISTING BUT MALFUNCTIONING COLD STREAM MINE DRIFT PASSIVE MINE DRAINAGE TREATMENTSYSTEM.THE RECENTLY FORMED GROUP MCWA, AS PART OF ITS MISSION, ASSUMED MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITY IN 2020 FOR SIXESSENTIALLY ABANDONED COLD STREAM MINE DRAINAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS LOCATED ON PA STATE GAME LANDS 033. IT HAS BEENDETERMINED THAT ONE OF THOSE, THE MINE DRIFT SYSTEM, CAN BE REHABILITATED IN PLACE THROUGH THE WHOLESALE REMOVALAND REPLACEMENT OF STONE, TREATMENT MEDIA, AND RECONSTRUCTION OF THE UNDERDRAIN PLUMBING GRID. MCWA WORKED WITHENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING GROUP G FORCE ENGINEERING, INC. TO WORK UP A PROPOSAL FOR CARRYING OUT THESE TASKS. THEWORK DESCRIBED CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN RELATIVELY SHORT TIME, PERHAPS IN AS LITTLE AS A WEEK, WITH APRIL 3, 2023AS THE APPROXIMATE TARGET START DATE, TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE APRIL 29.THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT IS TO REPAIR THE MINE DRIFT SYSTEM SO THAT ACID MINE DRAINAGE IS PROPERLY TREATEDBEFORE BEING RELEASED INTO THE COLD STREAM WATERSHED. DRAINAGE PH WILL BE RAISED, ACIDITY WILL BE NEUTRALIZED,AND METALS ALUMINUM AND IRON WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE WATER AS IT WORKS THROUGH THE FACILITY. MINE DRIFT WILL BETHE SECOND OF THE COLD STREAM PASSIVE TREATMENT SYSTEMS TO BE FULLY REHABILITATED, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL BEINGFULL TREATMENT OF ALL OF THE MINE DRAINAGE BEING RELEASED FROM THE STATE GAME LANDS 033 SITES. THIS IN TURN WILLIMPROVE THE WATER FLOWING INTO COLD STREAM ITSELF, AN OTHERWISE HIGH QUALITY FISHERY.