Lackawanna River Corridor Association

AMD from the Lackawanna outfall enters the River from the west bank in the municipality of Blakely approximately 250 m upstream of the Lackawanna Ave. bridge in Olyphant. Mine water discharging from this outfall originates from a vertical mine shaft located behind the Blakely Borough building. As AMD rises to the top of the mine shaft it is diverted into a concrete culvert which runs underground to the southeast corner of the loading dock parking area behind the former Insalaco's grocery store. At this point, the flow discharges from a 5' diameter pipe beneath the parking lot and flows into a rock bottom ditch. This ditch runs south under Lillibridge St. and then angles east toward the River behind Sylvester Chevrolet. Iron oxide deposition evident in the open ditch and within the River downstream of its input reflect the high concentration of iron in the AMD from this outfall. Its impact on the River is most likely minimal, however, as iron oxide deposition is not visible at the Lackawanna Ave. bridge. The long length of the open ditch allows the mine water to recharge with oxygen and deposit much of its metal load before emptying into the River. In addition, this outfall generally goes dry during dry summer months, such as those experienced in the summer of 1999. Mine water from this AMD originates from the flooded Lackawanna Colliery of the Hudson Coal Company.

Water Chemistry Data (June 1999)

River Mile 18.1
Flow (mgd) 6*
Water Temperature (ºC) 13.0
pH 6.2
Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) 3.7
Conductivity (µS/cm) 555
Alkalinity (mg/L) 30
Hardness (mg/L) 192
Sulfate (mg/L) 144
Iron (mg/L) 8.3
Manganese (mg/L) 1.2
Copper (mg/L) 0.03
Zinc (mg/L) <0.01
Aluminum (mg/L) 0.35

* Peters, Albert& Associates. 1978. Lackawanna River Mine Drainage Pollution Abatement Project, Part II, Operation Scarlift. Scranton, PA.

Concrete culvert discharging AMD into ditch at the southeast corner of the loading dock parking area behind the former Insalaco's grocery store.

View of AMD ditch running under Lillibridge St.

View of the Lackawanna Outfall's confluence from the east bank of the River.

Click here for a topographic map and an aerial photograph of the Lackawanna Outfall area.

(Courtesy of Microsoft Terraserver and USGS)