THREATS TO THE RIVER
The Rosa Coal Mine learn about the coal mine
Sedimentation
This aerial photo shows erosion along Cold Washer Road off of Hwy 231 near Rosa. A tributary to the southern branch of Dry Creek is on the left. As it crosses Hwy 231 this creek is red with sedimentation. Dry Creek flows into the Locust Fork River near Nectar.
The most common impact to stream organisms is excess sediments washing into streams, eliminating habitat for many species. sedimentation happens when rain washes off disturbed land surfaces creating erosion that carries dirt into our streams and rivers. It is currently considered the number one pollutant of our streams, rivers and lakes. Coal mines, agricultural fields, deforested land, and construction sites are common sources of sedimentation in the basin. Sedimentation and the resulting increased turbidity cause bottom habitats to be covered with silt which reduces spawning sites, eliminates shelters and habitat, smothers gill-breathing organisms and prevents fish from finding food. In human terms, it’s the equivalent of trying to find a restaurant in a crowded city in which outdoor signs and advertising were prohibited.
Sedimentation also impacts humans by increasing the costs of treating drinking water, reducing recreational enjoyment of our waterways and reducing property values.
Violations of the Clean Water Act such as the encroachment on stream buffers and the failure to use and maintain best management practices at construction and mine sites contribute greatly to sedimentation problems.
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
This photo was taken off Hwy 1 just south of Cleveland.
Acid mine drainage (AMD), refers to the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. However, other areas where the earth has been disturbed (e.g. construction sites, subdivisions, transportation corridors, etc.) may also contribute acid rock drainage to the environment. In many localities the liquid that drains from coal stocks, coal handling facilities, coal washeries, and even coal waste tips can be highly acidic, and in such cases it is treated as acid rock drainage. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering process but is exacerbated by large-scale earth disturbances characteristic of mining and other large construction activities, usually within rocks containing an abundance of sulfide minerals. Wikipedia
View another mine site on the Locust Fork River. See what Rosa Mine will look like soon.
ADEM read Cindy Lowery's article about ADEM