Completed Projects

In October 2022 a leaping weir was installed at SCRA treatment site #48 off Venn Access Rd in Coal Township, PA. The leaping weir allows water to enter the passive treatment system during times of low flow, when the water is most concentrated with AMD pollution. When water levels are high, the water will flow over the leaping weir and bypass the passive treatment system. By installing the leaping weir, the life of the passive treatment system will be prolonged by reducing the amount of sediment being added to the system. The installation of the leaping weir was made possible through a grant from EPCAMR and ARIPPA.

In 2019, the SCRA was awarded $85,575 from the Department of Environmental Protection to identify ways to battle AMD and restore Quaker Run & Buck Run to acceptable levels. Clauser Environmental, LLC recently completed an Assessment Report and Restoration Plan for Quaker Run and Buck Run, tributaries of Shamokin Creek. The 102-page assessment and 57-page restoration plan contains backgrounds of the sub-watersheds, past and current aerial photographs, habitat reviews and detailed results from water quality and macroinvertebrate samplings.

The Scott Mine Tunnel, Maysville Mine Borehole, Colbert Breach, and Big Mountain Mine Discharges contribute 18.3 million gallons per day, or 40% of all the polluted water flowing into Shamokin Creek. The completion of these documents is a huge milestone for the SCRA. We're hopeful this data will result in the funding of a large restoration project in the near future.

In July 2019, DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell and staff from the Office of Environmental Justice, Northcentral Regional Office, and Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation accompanied local leaders and members of the SCRA on a tour of environmental project sites in the watershed. The tour included:

Veterans’ Memorial Sports Complex in Kulpmont, where the Northumberland County Conservation District holds annual environmental education events for school students, including planting riparian buffers and installing educational signage along Quaker Run, with support from DEP’s Environmental Education Grant program.

Site 20, an AMD discharge point into an orange stream, where SCRA described details of a Feasibility Study to install further AMD treatment facilities.

A mine-related subsidence on Quaker Run that has closed an access road through an industrial park.

Site 15, a passive AMD treatment system, where SCRA described the project’s benefits and challenges.

In 2006, the SCRA and Northumberland County Conservation District installed the fourth passive mine drainage treatment system in the Shamokin Creek watershed at Scarlift Site 15. This site is easily accessible just south of SR 61 on SR 901.

The SCRA and Northumberland County Conservation District (NCCD) received $64,673 in August 2002 for Acid Mine Drainage Characterization and Treatment Planning at the Big Mountain AMD Discharges (Scarlift Sites 23-28). With a great deal of work by Steve Ulceski, former NCCD Watershed Specialist, a third (semi)passive mine drainage treatment system was installed at Scarlift Site 23 in the fall of 2004. The project diverts only a portion of the Site 23 deep mine discharge, and it is designed to add alkalinity and lower metal loadings. Due to several practical limitations, the system was not designed to completely treat the water.

March 9, 2001 submission of a Growing Greener grant to characterize Scarlift Site 12, the largest mine discharge in the watershed, and examine the use of steel slag for treatment.

Funded by a US Office of Surface Mining grant. The second passive treatment system in the watershed began successful operation Fall, 2000

The SCRA in partnership with the Northumberland County Conservation District installed the first treatment system in the Shamokin Creek watershed in1999. Construction was completed and the project was online by the Fall of 2000.

Northumberland County Planning Commission received $75,000 for the assessment of the Shamokin Creek Watershed in conjunction with the SCRA and the NCCD. This study will build upon the USGS-led assessment, broadening the scope to include stormwater and agricultural effects on the watershed.