West Branch Susquehanna Subbasin Year-2 Survey: An Assessment of the Abandoned Mine Drainage Impacts in Drury Run and Birch Island Run, Clinton County, PA

摘要

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) completed a water quality and biological monitoring study in two small watersheds, Drury Run and Birch Island Run, from April 2010 through February 2011 as part of the West Branch Susquehanna Subbasin Survey Year-2 Study (Figure 1). Drury Run and Birch Island Run, which are located in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, are direct tributaries to the West Branch Susquehanna River. The Subbasin Survey Program is one of SRBCs longest standing monitoring programs, ongoing since the mid-1980s, and is funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This program consists of two-year assessments in each of the six major subbasins of the Susquehanna River Basin on a rotating basis. The Year-1 studies are broad-brush, onetime sampling efforts of about 100 stream sites to assess water quality, macroinvertebrate communities, and physical habitat throughout the entire subbasin. The Year-2 studies focus on a particular region or small watershed within the major subbasin, and typically seek to address one specific issue. SRBC conducted the West Branch Susquehanna Year-1 study from June-August 2009 (Buda, 2010). The Year-2 sampling plan is tailored for the individual needs or concerns of a chosen watershed, and sampled accordingly, so a more detailed evaluation can be made.