Watershed Planning and Restoration Projects
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Water's Edge is a leader in the development of passive, low cost
solutions to restore water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Our
watershed assessment have lead to a broader understanding of the
relationship between hydrologic events and a stream's ability to
support aquatic life. Our projects have included acid rain mitigation,
acid mine drainage treatment, stream channel restoration plans and
modeling of economic costs and benefits associated with watershed
restoration.
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| Mosquito Creek Progressive Restoration Plan
A 90 square mile watershed impacted by acid rain runoff, was the subject of a comprehensive flow and chemistry monitoring program was to determine acidification conditions throughout the watershed. These data were used to identify levels of acidic rain related chemistry of major tributaries under a range of flow conditions for the development of a progressive restoration plan to guide future restoration activities.
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| Fishing Creek Acid Deposition Watershed Assessment
The Fishing Creek Watershed Association retained Water’s Edge to complete an assessment and restoration plan for a 20 square mile watershed in Sullivan and Columbia Counties, PA. The project included training of volunteer monitors, analysis of acid loading data for 20 monitoring points, assessment of mitigation technologies, and recommendations for a progressive restoration plan to reestablish trout habitat.
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| Trout Run Watershed Assessment and Restoration Plan
Working with Trout Unlimited an monitoring plan was developed to evaluate the seasonal effects of acid deposition on a 33 square mile watershed in Clearfield County PA. The data were used to document existing acid deposition impacts, predict potential stream improvement effects from acid abatement and alkaline addition, and evaluate implementation sites for passive treatment systems to restore native brook trout in the headwaters.
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| North Fork Watershed Assessment and Restoration Plan
The study consisted of a one-year water monitoring program by volunteers for 25 sample points in the 100 square mile North Fork watershed in Jefferson County PA. The results indicted stream acidity was correlated with flows bedrock geology in the upper tributaries. A progressive restoration plan was developed to provide a suggested sequence of progressively achievable alkaline addition projects.
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| Ardell Vertical Flow Wetland
This was the first of three vertical flow wetlands used to demonstrate the effectiveness of this passive technology to mitigate the effects of acid rain in headwater trout streams. The 10,000 square foot wetland has the capacity to neutralize and add excess alkalinity to 100 GPM of stream water. Once treated, the highly buffered waters are returned to the stream where the benefits have shown a 1 unit increase in pH for up to a mile downstream. The system was constructed in 2001 and has produced alkaline water continuously since its construction without any major maintenance.
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| Pebble Run Vertical Flow Wetland
This vertical flow wetland was installed on a chronically acidified headwater trout stream to assess the effects of more aggressive acidic waters on alkalinity generation. The design included a new organic substrate blend incorporating readily dissolved high-calcium limestone sand. The 1/4 acre system produces a high amount of alkalinity as predicted and was able to neutralize downstream water quality during normal flow periods when the treated waters make up a significant portion of the stream flow.
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| Duck Marsh Vertical Flow Wetland
This project is located on State Game Lands downstream of two waterfowl habitat impoundments. The 1/4 acre vertical flow wetland treats up to 100 GPM of episodically acidic from acid deposition in the watershed returning it back to the stream to mix with untreated waters for downstream buffering. Included in this design is a vegetated aerobic outlet channel to dissipate the hydrogen sulfide that remains in the waters from the sulfate reduction that occurs in the wetland. This additional treatment eliminates any adverse effects of this gas to the stream biota.
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| Lost Run Road Limestone Channels
As part of the Mosquito Creek Acid Deposition Project, a 1/2 mile section of State Forest Road was surfaced with high calcium limestone to add alkalinity during runoff periods. Along with the road surfacing, Open Limestone Channels of limestone rip-rap and limestone sand were constructed between cross drains to collect upslope runoff and concentrate the flows through the limestone channels for neutralization.
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| Tioga Headwaters Acid Deposition Project
This project is part of an overall watershed restoration effort to restore a trout fishery in Pennsylvania State Forests. To address impairment caused by acid deposition in the upper reaches of the watershed and meet land management goals a number of mitigation approaches were developed for implementation in 2009 and 2010. These include high flow buffer channels, open limestone channels, and limestone road surfacing.
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| Gifford Run High Flow Buffer Channel
This project is another demonstration of new technology to mitigate the impacts of acid deposition on trout streams. Scheduled for construction in 2009, this system involves a 200-foot long secondary high flow channel to bypass a portion of the high stream flows through a series of high-calcium limestone sand pools to add alkalinity to the main stream body. This system is designed to only use the channel during high flow periods when the stream pH is lowest, replacing the current practice of adding sand directly to the stream channel.
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| Tioga River Watershed Assessment and Restoration Plan
This project involved the development of a progressive restoration plan for multiple tributaries and the main stem of the Upper Tioga River, which is severely impacted by acid mine drainage. The plan included preparation of conceptual treatment plans for 20 mine drainage sources using passive and chemical alternatives, with cost estimates for restoration planning.
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| Watershed Restoration Analysis Model (WRAM)
Developed for Penn State, the WRAM model is a software tool for rapid assessment of the potential water quality improvements resulting from remediation of multiple pollutant sources in an impaired watershed. The model predicts changes in downstream water quality, conceptually designs passive treatment systems for selected point sources, and estimates the cost to construct and operate these systems.
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