Sense of Place Field Trip | Ohio Watersheds Affected by Acid Mine Drainage, April 4

The Ohio: Sense of Place Field Trip Series continues with an examination of the impact of pollution produced by past and current coal mining on forest environments and ecosystems of the Monday Creek Watershed in Wayne National Forest on Saturday, April 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The guided walk will include an investigation and discussion of the history of Monday Creek, how the waters evolve along the length of the stream, and current remediation efforts. The field trip will be led by Dr. Dina Lopez, Professor and Chair of the Ohio University Department of Geological Sciences.

The field trip will depart from the parking lot in front of Clippinger Laboratories at 9 am on an Ohio University charter bus and will return to the same location at 1 p.m. Free transportation and water will be provided to all attendees. The field trip will include walking on and off trails, so appropriate clothing including long pants and sturdy footwear are highly recommended.

RSVP by April 3: Space is limited to 25 attendees, so reservations are required. Please email Dr. Daniel Hembree, Associate Professor of Geological Sciences, at hembree@ohio.edu by Friday, April 3, for reservations or more information.

Abstract: Worldwide, coal mining is the third most important extractive industry, behind oil and natural gas. The generation of acidic waters in abandoned coal mines in the Appalachian basin has damaged many watersheds in southeastern Ohio. Locally, one of the watersheds most heavily impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) is the Monday Creek watershed. An initial survey of the Monday Creek watershed found that the main contributor of AMD to Monday Creek is the Essex or Esco No. 40 Mine, an abandoned underground mine located in the west-central portion of the watershed. In this field trip, Lopez will discuss the history of Monday Creek, how the waters evolve along the stream, the environmental impact of AMD, and current remediation efforts. Participants will be able to directly observe the impacts of current and past coal mining on forest ecosystems.