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Lackawanna River Corridor Association

Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan

Mine Reclamation 

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    Statistics

     

      1.   20,000 acres affected by mining

     

    â  2.   100 miles of tributary streams with loss of flow to the mine pool

     

    â  3.   Thirty mine sites with culm dumps along the river or tributary stream corridor

     

    â  4.   Most severly affected areas:

     

    -           Lower watershed:  Mill Creek, St. Johns Creek, Keyser Creek

              -Mid watershed:  Eddy Creek, Sterry Creek, Grassy Island Creek

    -          Upper watershed:  Coal Brook, Powderly Creek, Wilson Creek 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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     1.  Reclamation of culm banks, strip pits and piles and AMD sources

    2.  Completed to date by PA DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine    Reclamation: 1800 acres-  

    3.   Completed by others as part of site redevelopment:  1200 acres

    4.  AMD sources treated:  1 at Aylesworth Dam and 1 along the Lackawanna Industrial Highway, just north of Archbald exit

    5.  Awaiting reclamation:  7000 acres upland, 2000 acres of riparian flood plain, 100 miles of tributary stream bed and riparian corridor, and 12 AMD outfalls-- -  

    The12 Largest AMD Outfalls

     

    Outfall Discharge (Million Gal./Day)
     Duryea 30
    Old Forge 150
    Lackawanna Slope 10
    Gravity Slope 30
    Wadell 1
    Dana Tunnel 5
    Jermyn 30
    Wilson Creek 15
    Number 10 1
    Grey Slope 5
    Vandling Tunnel 5
    Browndale Drift 2 
    		
    Priority Watershed Restoration Projects as Recommended by LRCA

    â1.  Grassy Island Creek, Jessup

    â2.  Eddy Creek, Olyphant/Throop
    â3.  Powderly Creek, Carbondale
    4.  âSterry Creek, Jessup
    â5.  Keyser Creek, Taylor/Scranton
    6.  âSt. Johns Creek, Old Forge
    â7.  Mill Creek, Moosic/Avoca
    â8.  Greenwood Creek, Moosic
    9.  âCoal Brook, Carbondale
    10.  âWilson Creek, Fell Twp.

     

     

     

     

    Projects with Economic Development Components

    âValley View Business Park, Jessup/Archbald (Grassy Island Creek)
    âLeggetts Creek Park Residential Development, North Scranton
    âYucca Flats, Forest City Industrial Park
    âNorthwest Parcel, Fell Township
    âOlyphant-Eddy Creek Colliery, Dickson City/Olyphant/Throop
    âEddy Creek Estates, Throop
    âTripp Park Estates, Scranton
    âPompey Colliery, Jessup
    âMoffat Colliery, Taylor
    âPowderly Colliery, Carbondale Twp.
    âMarvine Colliery, Scranton
    âBaker Colliery, Scranton/Taylor
    âHiedlberg Colliery, Avoca
    âPopple Colliery, Old Forge/Duryea

    Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation Project List

    âGrassy Island Creek
    âEddy Creek
    âPowderly Creek
    âKeyser Creek
    âSt. Johns Creek
    âSpring Brook
    âFall Brook
    âRoaring Brook
    âLaurel Run
    âWhite Oak Run

     

     

     

     

     

    Lackawanna River Watershed 2000 (LRW2K)

    â 1.  Based on work completed by LRCA and Army Corps of Engineers on Lackawanna River Greenway Study of 1993
    â 2.  Funded through EPA to Lackawanna County at $30 million:  $20 million to treat mine drainage and $10 million for CSO projects
    â 3.  Needs 45% non-federal matching funds, $28 million can be in-kind, from sewer authority, Pennvest, BAMR, Growing Greener, or private
    â 4.  Problems – EPA has not helped to facilitate this program, no adequate source of matching funds available to county
    â 5.  Opportunities – EPA may now recognize BAMR projects as a match to fund LRW2K mine drainage and stream corridor reclamation
    â 6.  Problems – projects will be developed ad hoc; a watershed level proposal was rejected by EPA
    â 7.  Problems – no viable watershed based governmental entity focused on water resources infrastructure

©2001 LRCA