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Jermyn Acid Mine Drainage Outfall AMD from the Jermyn outfall discharges directly into the River from a 3' concrete conduit set into the west bank of the River off Old Mill Rd., within the municipality of Jermyn. This AMD is a continuous, high volume discharge which drains the underground mine pool from Carbondale downstream to Jermyn. Though metal concentrations are relatively low in this AMD, the sheer volume of flow from this discharge has left a visible coating of iron oxide in the River at least 100-150 m downstream of its input. Much of this deposition, however, has collected in a pool immediately downstream of the conduit. This AMD's impact on downstream water chemistry and the macroinvertebrate community has been monitored by LRCA volunteers since 1991, and shown to be minimal at a site approximately 250 m below its input. A recovery in water chemistry conditions to those upstream of the input and a diverse macroinvertebrate community has been evident at the site, indicating the discharge's impact is restricted to the first 200 m downstream of its input. The cooler mine water discharged from this AMD, most likely, has a positive impact on conditions for the downstream trout fisheries. A Trophy Trout Project section of the River begins about 2.2 river miles downstream of this AMD input and, most likely benefits from the cold water discharging from this outfall. |
