DCNR Blog: Whiskey Springs ATV Trail, Clinton County To Close 4 Days A Week To Allow Work On 3 Abandoned Mine Reclamation Projects

The Whiskey Springs ATV Trail in the Clinton County part of Sproul State Forest, will operate this summer under modified conditions to allow for safe and efficient acid mine remediation work in the Huling Branch, Five Mile Hollow, and Two Mile Run Road vicinity.

For a view of the affected area, please see the Whiskey Springs ATV Trail System and Huling Branch East Reclamation Map (PDF).

Closure Will Not Affect Weekends

Remediation work will require the ATV trail to be closed, but closures will be limited to Mondays through Thursdays.

Riders will still be able to access the trail on Fridays through Sundays during the summer riding season, which occurs from May 27, 2022, through September 25, 2022.

A Short-Term Sacrifice for a Long-Term Benefit

Prior coal extraction in the region left behind some serious environmental problems. Most concerning is acid mine drainage that affects the lower watershed of Kettle Creek -- a treasured trout stream from the headwaters to the acid mine drainage-impacted waters to the south. Workers will:

-- Re-grade old spoils piles

-- Redistribute overburden (soil and fill pushed aside to reach the coal)

-- Add lime to neutralize acidity

-- Replant the area with native seed, trees, and shrubs.

DCNR acknowledges and appreciates the sacrifice of ATV riders to ultimately help the environment.

A Long History of Coal Extraction and Remediation

Pennsylvania’s abundant coal resources have been exploited for more than a century and undoubtedly helped spur the Industrial Revolution.

Despite societal advancements during that era, historical mining operations often neglected the proper closure protocol called reclamation.

Reclamation seeks to return mined areas to their former contours and ecology.

Reclamation work is standard procedure today, but much work remains throughout the Commonwealth to restore many coal mining sites from impacts incurred long ago.

DCNR is fortunate to have a sister agency that specifically deals with this issue -- the Department of Environmental Protection.

Learn more about the Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation program and successes.

  For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

[How Clean Is Your Stream?

[Check DEP’s 2022 Water Quality Report to find out how clean streams are near you.]

 

(Reprinted from DCNR’s Good Natured Blog.)

Upcoming Event:

-- PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference June 22-23

Related Articles - Mine Reclamation:

-- Casey, Cartwright Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Fund Abandoned Mine Treatment O&M Costs

-- CBF Blog: Acid Mine Drainage - The Legacy Of Coal Mining A Key Source Of Harm To Pennsylvania's Headwaters

Related Articles This Week: Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Funding:

-- EPA Announces 2022 State Water Revolving Fund Grants Funded By Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; PA Share Is $240.1 Million 

-- Sen. Casey, DEP Highlight Importance Of Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding To Address Abandoned Mine Reclamation In Visit To Northumberland County 

-- EPA Announces Brownfields Cleanup, Assessment Funding; 8 Grants In PA Totalling $7.3 Million [Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Included]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Awards Design Contract For Tioga River Abandoned Mine Drainage Treatment Project

[Posted: May 13, 2022]  PA Environment Digest