art grguric, backleggs creek watershed association, operations and maintenance panel

Blackleggs CreekBig Run AMD

Treatment Complex

Indiana County, PA

Big Run AMD Treatment Complex

Big Run #2

Big Run #2 Intake Valve

Big Run #2 Limstone Bed Piping

Big Run #2 Settling Wetland

Big Run #2 Iron Coating of Limestone

Big Run #2 Limestone Washing and Replacing

Big Run #2 OM&R

• System is too small for flow requires constant adjustment of boards in drop boxes

• Requires regular flushing• Predicted dissolution and coating of stone• Plugging of holes in pipes – now using chain-sawed

slats rather than drilled holes• Uncooperative Landowner – during high flow, 10-20%

flow goes untreated• Fear that during high flow a siphon is created• Erosion in Overflow channel

Big Run #7

Big Run #7 Mine Water Capture

Big Run #7 Pipe Labyrinth

Big Run #7 Drop Boxes

Big Run #7 OM&R

• Cleaning Debris around mine opening• Cleaning Stone• Flushing• Cleaning and replacing stone• Clogging pipes

Big Run #7A Mine Blowout

#7A #8

Big Run #7A Mine Blowout

Big Run #7A Incidental Coal Extraction

Big Run #7, #7A, and #8 Combined

Discharges of Big Run #7A and #8

#7A #8

Big Run #8 Construction Logistics

Big Run #8 Drilling to Locate Mine Portal

Big Run #8 Partial Construction to Protect Against Possible Mine Blowout

Big Run #8 Construction Challenges

Big Run #8 COG and Robot Exploration

Big Run #8 Mine Water Capture

Big Run #8 Mine Water Inflow Management

Big Run #8 Completed System

Big Run #7, #7A, and #8 Combined

Big Run #8 OM&R

• Ponds too small to treat the flow and iron levels due to space constraints. We have full iron clogging every 4 months. Now we are facing decision of Lime in silo vs. cleaning stone

• Broken valve down over the bank allowing untreated water to escape to stream.

Big Run #3 Silo Pad

Big Run #3 Lyme Dosing Silo

Downstream of the Big Run AMD Treatment Complex

7/28/99 4/11/00 4/21/02 8/3/03 2/18/04 1/22/05 7/9/05 1/21/06 7/22/06 1/17/07 7/21/07 2/4/08 7/27/08 5/3/09 6/26/10 4/6/11 7/18/12-50

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Combined Total and Hot Acidity (mg/L)

Big Run #3 OM&R

• At this time, we do not know how much lime is needed/yr or how much it will cost/yr

• The more lime you use, the more sludge is generated for disposal

• No sludge pond, the designed sludge pond is only big enough for #7 but two additional discharges will be sent through silo, #7A and #8

• #3 is a combo of all discharges so it is important to control flow of all other system discharges.

Big Run AMD Treatment Complex OM&R

• During normal flow, 1hr/wk• During high flow it is easy to spend >20hrs/wk• Not enough sunshine to depend on solar• The more you flush the longer the system is

efficient• Constantly monitoring pH at outflow and

mouth of Big Run

Blackleggs Creek Watershed Association and Cooperative Trout Nursery

• Find us on Facebook at Blackleggs Creek

Thanks,Art GrGuricWatershed and Nursery Manager