The water quality of a stream in Ohio has been improved by implementing changes that successfully counteracted acid coal mine drainage. After completion of the new project, the stream’s water flow was slowed and successfully reduced its acidity.
The project was executed by Rural Action, an Ohio nonprofit company focused on community development. The organization simply added two piles of limestone to a wetland. Because this successfully slowed the stream’s flow, the amount of iron present in the water was reduced. The limestone also neutralized the acid present in the stream.
In total, the project cost $236,550 and was completed in October 2017. Acidic drainage is the primary source of contamination throughout the area, often sourced from coal mines. This marks the second example of success by Rural Action in improving the quality of a water body affected by acid mine drainage following its improvement of Huff Run. The organization intends to apply similar practices to other surrounding water bodies moving forward.
Following the series of improvements already made and those to come, Rural Action is expected to release a full report on the quality of water in the Tuscarawas River some time in 2019.
