Abandoned Mine Drainage’s Impacts

1. Abandoned Mine Drainage’s Impacts The Impact of AMD to Life in Streams Lessons Prepared by Trout Unlimited With Funds from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

2. What are Some Impacts of Abandoned Mine Drainage?

3. Impacts of AMD to a Stream • Chemical • Decreased pH • Increased dissolved metal concentrations • Fe, Al, Mn • High sulfate concentrations • Physical • Increased turbidity from soil erosion • Covering stream substrate by precipitated metal compounds

4. Benthic Macroinvertebrates • Used as biological indicators for water quality • Can be better than a water sample because it shows the daily impacts of AMD not just the momentary chemistry of one sample • Different species have varying degrees of sensitivity to pollutants • Unaffected streams (clean streams) generally have a variety of species with representatives of all insect orders

5. Some Pollution Tolerant Groups of Benthic Macroinvertebrates • Earthworms (Tubificidae) • Midge larvae (Chironomidae) • Alderfly larvae (Sialis) • Fishfly larvae (Nigronia) • Cranefly larvae (Tipula) • Caddisfly larvae (Ptilostomis) All photos provided by Trout Nut. http://www.troutnut.com/

6. EPT Taxa • Insects classed in the orders Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies). • Generally intolerant to pollution • Some caddisflies and stoneflies are tolerant of dilute AMD Photos are left to right: stonefly, mayfly, and caddisfly. Provided by Trout Nut http://www.troutnut.com/

7. Impacts of AMD on Benthic Macroinvertebrates • Reduction in diversity • Reduction in total numbers (abundance) • Changes in community structure (increased abundance of pollution tolerant organisms)

8. pH • Most organisms have a defined range for pH • Low pH affects the balance of sodium and chloride ions in the blood • How impaired a stream is can be determined by the diversity and quantity of benthic macroinvertebrates found in the stream • Some macroinvertebrates can handle a lower pH and higher concentrations of metals • Mayflies are one of the most sensitive groups of aquatic insects to low pH

9. Stoneflies (Some Species) Caddisflies (Some Species) Craneflies Blackflies Few if any Macroinvertebrates 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 Mayflies Elmid Beetles Waterpennies Riffle Beetle Most aquatic insects Tubiflex Worms Midge Alderflies Fishflies Diving Beetle Water Boatman pH’s Effects on Macroinvertebrates

10. 4.54.64.74.84.95.05.15.25.35.45.65.75.85.96.06.16.26.36.46.5 pH’s Effects on Fish Silverjaw Minnow River Chub Common Shiner Silver Shiner Rosyface Shiner Mimic Shiner Northern Hogsucker Rock Bass Smallmouth Bass Greenside Darter Fantail Darter Johnny Darter Banded Darter Blackside Darter Redside Dace Spotfin Shiner Spottail Shiner Pearl Dace Green Sunfish Creek Chubsucker Largemouth Bass Bluntnose Minnow Blacknose Dace Chain Pickerel Golden Shiner White Sucker Brown Bullhead Pumpkinseed Redbreast Sunfish Rainbow Darter Variegate Darter Mottled Sculpin Brown Trout Longnose Dace Margined Madtom Tessellated Darter Slimy Sculpin Brook Trout Creek Chub Cutlips Minnow Fallfish Ohio Lamprey Yellow Perch Order of appearance of fish species in Pennsylvania streams as pH increases (Cooper and Wagner, 1973)

11. Metals • Metals are more toxic to aquatic life at lower pH • Some fish, like brook trout, are tolerant to lower pH, but the addition of metals decreases that tolerance • For example, a pH < 5.5 and dissolved aluminum concentrations >0.5 mg/L will generally eliminate all fish and many macroinvertebrates. Iron and Aluminum seen in a stream all can be deadly to fish and other life. Provided by TU Staff.

12. Metals • Metals like iron and aluminum can precipitate out of the water • These precipitates have negative impacts to the aquatic ecosystem: • Precipitate may coat the gills and body surfaces of benthic macroinvertebrates or fish • Smother eggs (decreases reproductive success) • Cover stream bottom, fill in crevices in rocks, and/or make substrate unstable (decreases available habitat for benthic macroinvertebrates and fish)

13. Impacts AMD has on Brook Trout • Low pH levels restrict respiratory action • Metal precipitates can get caught in their gills • Increased osmotic pressure and decreased oxygen • Trout will have to relocate quickly or suffocate. • AMD impaired streams create a toxic barrier between streams and their headwaters • Isolated populations result in inbreeding

14. B. C. A. Direction of Flow D. Impacts to a Stream System -How much of the system would be affected if stream A became impaired? -Which stream would cause the most impairment overall? -Which stream would cause the least impairment overall? - If stream C. was impaired how many isolated populations would this create? This is a system of streams. The color change shows when headwater streams add to the system If stream C. was impaired how many isolated populations would this create? How much of the system would be affected if stream A became impaired? Which stream would cause the least impairment overall?

15. Impacts of AMD Outside the Stream • Environmental: • Dead Zones are made as AMD flows over the soil • As vegetation is removed herbivores relocate due to lack of food • Lack of fish and other aquatic food sources can cause other animals to move away from areas • Nutrients that normally are captured and held by plant life are allowed to pass freely down stream leading to nutrification

16. Impacts of AMD Outside the Stream • Economic: • Proximity to an impaired stream has a direct affect on property values • Money is spent to provide clean drinking water in these areas • Fishing revenue is lost • Concrete structures as well as other materials that contact AMD can be weakened and require replacement more often