§319 Success Stories

In the lower 20 miles of the Cheat River watershed near the Pennsylvania border, many of the streams have been so severely degraded by acid mine drainage that they are effectively dead. Restoration projects using limestone to help neutralize acidity before the water enters the river have helped to restore waters, allowing for a resurgence of the bass population.

The North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River is a scenic trout stream in the headwaters of the Potomac River in northeastern West Virginia. Water in the North Fork had high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, primarily from agricultural runoff from beef and poultry farms. Over 85 percent of farmers in the watershed worked together to construct animal waste storage facilities, establish riparian buffers, and implement a range of other best management practices (BMPs) at the farms. As a result, the stream now meets its designated use and is no longer impaired by fecal coliform bacteria.

Two streams, Sugar Creek and Dogway Fork, designated as trout waters by West Virginia, were affected by acid rain deposition and did not meet the state’s water quality standards for pH. The state listed both streams on its section 303(d) (impaired waters) list in 1998, 2002, and 2004. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WV DNR) applied limestone sand into both streams to neutralize the acid in the waters. This treatment helped bring the streams’ water pH back into compliance with water quality standards. The state removed sections of both streams from its impaired waters list in 2006.

Mine drainage and acid deposition have degraded several streams in the Tygarts Valley watershed. Consequently, many are included on the West Virginia 303(d) list with metal impairments. Through the teamwork of many partners, restoration efforts are underway. In the Upper Buckhannon River subwatershed, instream limestone treatments, the covering of mine refuse areas, revegetation of affected areas, and other practices show promise that by 2008, the Buckhannon River and other streams within that subwatershed may be delisted for their metal impairments.

Acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines impaired West Virginia’s Morris Creek, prompting the state to add the creek to its 1996 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters for metals and pH. To restore the stream, project partners installed various passive treatment systems [e.g., anaerobic and aerobic wetlands, open limestone channels (OLCs), polishing ponds] at four sites in the watershed. As a result, metal concentrations in Morris Creek have dropped significantly. West Virginia proposes to remove this waterbody from the section 303(d) list in 2010.

Remnants of past mining activities contributed metals and acidity to the 4.4-mile-long Lambert Run. As a result, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) added the run to the 1996 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters. In 2002 a partnership of academia, private citizens, and state and federal agencies collaborated to assess and remediate the mine drainage issues in the watershed. Partners implemented passive treatment systems at four sites to reduce the metal and acidity loads. Water quality has improved, and WV DEP expects to remove the upper reaches of Lambert Run from the CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters in the near future.

Failing household septic systems in McDowell County contributed to water quality impairments in West Virginia’s Windmill Gap Creek. As a result, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) added a 2.8-mile segment of the stream to the state’s 2006 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for fecal coliform (FC). The Wastewater Treatment Coalition of McDowell County (WTCMC) worked with partner agencies and community residents to install a decentralized community wastewater system, which significantly improved water quality. The stream now meets the state’s water quality standard for FC, and West Virginia will propose removing the segment from the CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 2012.

Elevated fecal coliform levels in Indian Run prompted the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to add the waterbody to the state’s Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 2008. Further investigations and source tracking showed that the elevated fecal coliform levels were due in part to failing or inadequate home septic systems and runoff from agricultural, urban, and residential areas. Pumping and upgrading septic systems, planting trees, and conducting outreach decreased fecal coliform levels in Indian Run. As a result, DEP removed the stream from the state’s 2012 CWA section 303(d) list for fecal coliform impairment.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) from abandoned coal mines impaired West Virginia’s Sovern Run. As a result, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) added the 4.7-mile-long stream to its Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. Project partners have installed numerous passive AMD treatment systems, which have significantly reduced the metals and acidity loadings into Sovern Run, allowing benthic macroinvertebrate populations to rebound in 3.3 miles of the 4.7 listed stream miles.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) from mines in West Virginia’s sulfur-rich Upper Freeport Coal Seam polluted Kanes Creek. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) added the 4.3-milelong stream to its Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. Project partners have installed passive and active AMD treatment systems that have reduced metals and acidity loadings into Kanes Creek, allowing benthic macroinvertebrate and fish communities to increase in the lower reaches of the creek. A 7.2-acre impoundment upstream is meeting water quality standards and will be ready for volunteer or stocked fish communities after a few more projects solidify water quality gains.

Waste from agricultural production and the presence of livestock in riparian areas degraded water quality in Kitchen Creek. As a result, the stream was placed on the 2006 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list as impaired for fecal coliform. The West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA) developed and implemented a watershed-based plan to address the problem through practices such as limiting livestock access to the stream and constructing waste storage facilities. Water quality has generally improved in response to this restoration work; bacteria levels have decreased and habitat conditions have improved.

Approximately 9,100 acres of untreated mine pools discharging acid, iron and aluminum into headwater tributaries left Three Fork Creek discolored and lifeless. As a result, the stream was added to West Virginia’s 1996 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters list for not meeting the state’s water quality standards for pH and metals. In-stream dosing of lime was implemented in the watershed, which reduced metals, increased pH and improved biological conditions. As a result, Three Fork Creek was removed from the state’s impaired waters list for aluminum in 2014.

The overall goal of the project was to help protect drinking water supplies throughout the state by ensuring that watershed groups and other community stakeholders assumed a constructive role in the source water planning process.

Tuscarora Creek was added to West Virginia’s Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 2002 for not meeting the state’s biological water quality standard. Sediment and organic enrichment were identified as the key stressors to aquatic life in the 2008 total maximum daily load. Project partners re-routed the creek around an obsolete dam to adjust the creek’s profile and pattern to transport sediment more effectively through a 950-foot reach. Abundance and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates have improved in the first year, indicating water quality progress. Thanks to the generous cooperation of the landowners, the site has served as a demonstration to the community through articles, videos and tours to inspire more streamside vegetation and general awareness about pollution in the Tuscarora Creek watershed.

As early as 1951, acid mine drainage (AMD) from coal mines polluted Deckers Creek, a section of which is a well-known whitewater paddling destination. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) added Deckers Creek to the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired streams in 1996. Friends of Deckers Creek (FODC), a nonprofit organization, and several agencies partnered on land reclamation and water treatment projects in the watershed. Water quality has significantly improved in Deckers Creek—particularly for aluminum, iron and pH. Biological conditions have also improved; for example, stocked brown trout now survive year-round in the creek.

The 2020 stories are not the typical US EPA success story, but this was not the typical year. These include a story about Muddy Creek for USEPA’s 50th anniversary, a story about the integration of source water protection plans and watershed based plans, and finally a testimonial from a Browns Creek resident.

The lower 3.4 miles of Muddy Creek, a tributary to the Cheat River, has been impaired by acid mine drainage (AMD). The acidity, due to dissolved metals in AMD, severely impacts fish, other stream organisms and the river ecosystem. Muddy Creek failed to meet water quality standards for pH, iron and aluminum, and the Cheat River failed to meet standards for pH and iron. Partners, led by Friends of the Cheat (FOC), a citizens’ group, have eliminated most of the pollution loads with passive treatment projects. A new AMD treatment facility provided even more treatment. Fish communities downstream in Muddy Creek now include pollution-sensitive species, such as brown trout. Walleye, which once inhabited the river and were stocked in a lake downstream, are now migrating upstream. Boaters on the Cheat report an improvement in the river and a more satisfying boating experience.

After decades of severe impairment by acid mine drainage (AMD), the Cheat River and many of its tributaries now provide clean water and support diverse communities of fish and other aquatic species due to the efforts of Friends of the Cheat and multiple partners. The river is becoming an economic resource as the growing recreation industry creates new jobs in Preston and Tucker counties.

An aging pond on the Woodrow Wilson High School campus was identified as a major source of fecal coliform pollution in Cranberry Creek due to dozens of resident waterfowl. This unique project consisted of pond draining, wildlife relocation, wetland creation, riparian and wetland plantings, and stream restoration. Many stakeholders collaborated to make this project an environmental and educational success. Recent monitoring demonstrates that the project has reduced fecal coliform loads and will continue to yield further reductions as it matures.