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Shoup's Run Watershed
By Producer, Kelly Meinhart
 raveling
through the mountainous terrain of this mostly rural area of
Huntingdon County, PA, one might feel far removed from the affects
of man. The countryside of the Shoup's Run Watershed hosts thick
forests of colorful fall foliage, tracks of habitat for wildlife,
and streams seemingly teeming with life.
 ut
what you can't see is the acidity. Flowing within the 26 miles
of streams that make up this little watershed, flow waters that
are unable to support life due to the impacts of abandoned mine
drainage (AMD). Some may look perfectly clear in color, while
others feature the characteristically orange drainage that seeps
from the abandoned mines found around the watershed.
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 atershed
President, Gracie Angelo, says, "It's been like that for
years. Everyone in the area just grew up with it. When you live
alongside something for so long, it's all you know. You just
don't stop to think that things could be different. But the
flood of 1996 really woke people up and made us realize that
something needed to be done."
 ike
every watershed, there are many issues impacting Shoup's Run,
not just the mine drainage. Impervious surfaces, stormwater
runoff, sediment loads and even trash piles have all impacted
the water quality. Additionally, loss of floodplains from development
have resulted in flash flooding throughout the watershed, further
impacting the water quality as well as causing extensive property
damage.
 ears
ago, man extracted the natural resources of this land to improve
our way of life. The area offered a seemingly endless supply
of timber and coal; both essential for the expansion of our
state and the country. But with these activities came a need
to transport the products on to the towns that would use them.
Roadways and railways were built throughout the area, and unfortunately,
'controlling' the streams seemed to be a requirement in that
process. And so, many of the streams were diverted or straightened
to accommodate the newly developed access ways. With this channelization,
streams degraded and abandoned their floodplains, and without
them, flash floods have become a serious issue for the residents
of Shoup's Run, and to the overall water quality of the watershed.
Groundwater rushes through abandoned mine shafts, carrying metals
with it, until reaching the nearest waterway — killing
all that live within it.
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after one of the worst floods in its history, the flood of 1996,
the residents of the area were called to action. Working with
DEP, the watershed association began to take a look at what
they could accomplish in the watershed. They realized that,
"We didn't have to live with this problem anymore, that
people were willing to help us." And so, after two years
of planning, creating partnerships, and getting residents on
board — the watershed association was ready to get started.
 've
talked with Gracie several times, and have heard her name from
folks around the state who refer to her as a 'spunky lady who
gets things done' — and it's true. I visited the watershed
on a cold and rainy fall day — the kind of day that requires
hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was there — and so were
Gracie and 10 volunteers, all ready to get started. It's not
necessarily the number of volunteers you have, but more the
dedication of those involved that matters most.
 lthough
the group is working on several project sites throughout the
watershed, some involving AMD treatment and others restoring
the natural stream channels, I met Gracie and the group at the
Minersville AMD treatment site.
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Minersville site is a multi-problem project. Once the site of
four abandoned and open mineshafts, an abandoned high wall from
strip mining, and a waste site that had developed over the years,
the site was a major cause of impairment to Shoup's Run which
travels just a few hundred yards away. Although groundbreaking
for the project had only begun in June of 2002, the site is
already near completion.
mazingly,
just this one project site alone will remediate one-third of
the water quality problems in the watershed. Treating the water
entering Shoup's Run was first order. Water entering the stream
is diverted through three passive treatment ponds and one wetland
pond. The treatment ponds allow the metals to 'settle out' before
the water returns to the stream. The metals are collected at
the bottom of the ponds in layers of clay and mushroom compost.
After going through this process, the water is then returned
to the stream — much healthier than before it entered the
treatment system.
ithout
regard for human safety or the environmental impacts, neglectful
mining companies left behind four open mineshafts. "You
could literally walk four feet or so into the one shaft,"
says volunteer, Mary Gates. Sealing off these shafts was essential
to protect the residents from injury as well as to divert the
water flowing through them to the treatment ponds. Today, the
shafts have been sealed and seeded over, with the only hint
of their existence being a securely sealed mine cap. (See photo
gallery)
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of the common problems left behind from strip mining activities
are steep cliffs of rock where large quantities of coal were
simply stripped out from the earth. These steep cliffs create
serious health and safety issues, as well as increase the amount
of sediment reaching Shoup's Run. During heavy storm events
sediment is carried down these steep slopes and contributes
excess sediment to the streams. Today, the once steep walls
are now sloped off to a safer grade for hikers and hunters.
And on the day I visited the group, the mission was to plant
50 silky dogwood trees to help stabilize the hillside and reduce
runoff. Be sure to check out the photo gallery to learn more
about the planting and the project site itself.
 uring
initial assessments of the watershed, this site was determined
to have a major impact on the water quality in the area. But
thanks to the available funding of the Growing Greener program,
the 319 Clean Water Act, and the vital partnerships between
state and local groups — the Minersville site has undergone
an amazing transformation.
gain,
and I just have to repeat this because it's inspirational —
this site alone will treat one-third of the watershed!
think the thing that resonates with me most about the folks
of Shoup's Run is 'awareness'. We sometimes go through life
not really seeing the things that surround us; even things that
have huge impacts on our daily lives. The folks of the Shoup's
Run Watershed Association have taken on the mission of not only
'seeing' a healthier watershed — but are also dedicated
to making it happen. Their awareness of their watershed and
of their ability to make it better is truly an inspiration.
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For more information about the Shoup's Run Watershed Association
Check out:
Watershed
Hero! Gracie Angleo
Pennsylvania
Association of Conservation Districts
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Group
Formed From Flood
