Water Quality in the Allegheny and Monongahela River Basins Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, and Maryland, 1996-98
By Robert M. Anderson, Kevin M. Beer, Theodore F. Buckwalter, Mary E. Clark, Steven D. McAuley, James I. Sams, III, and Donald R. Williams
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1202
The full report is available in pdf. Links to the pdf.
A contribution of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program
- NATIONAL WATER-QUALITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
- SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS
- INTRODUCTION TO THE ALLEGHENY AND MONONGAHELA RIVER BASINS
- MAJOR FINDINGS
- Coal mining dominates water quality
- Sulfate is an indicator of coal-mining activity
- Aquatic communities are affected in streams receiving large amounts of mine drainage
- NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE—Invertebrate index status is among the best in the Nation in forested settings
- Ground-water quality is affected near mined areas
- Concentrations of trace elements in bed sediment exceed aquatic-life guidelines
- NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE—Trace elements may limit aquatic life in urban streams and mined areas
- Water quality of the large rivers of the Allegheny and Monongahela River Basins is improving
- Persistent pesticides and PCBs were more prevalent in fish tissue than in sediment
- Low concentrations of numerous pesticides were detected in an agricultural stream and an urban stream
- Pesticides are at low concentrations when detected in ground water
- NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE—Pesticides in the Allegheny and Monongahela River Basins are similar to those found nationally
- Volatile organic compounds were detected at low concentrations in an urban stream
- Low levels of volatile organic compounds were detected in most domestic wells sampled
- Nitrate is common in streams and ground water
- Radon in ground water is common but highly variable
- REGIONAL STUDIES: Sulfate concentrations and biological communities in Appalachian coal areas indicate mining-related disturbances despite a general water-quality improvement between 1980 and 1998
- Water-quality characteristics targeted by SMCRA improved in streams, but sulfate and metals remain high at some sites
- Invertebrate-community impairment appears related to amount of mining
- Sulfate and some metal concentrations were higher in ground water near surface coal mines
- STUDY UNIT DESIGN
- APPENDIX--WATER-QUALITY DATA
FROM THE KANAWHA-NEW RIVER BASIN IN
A NATIONAL CONTEXT - References
- A Coordinated Efffort
- Glossary
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U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1202 Suggested citation:
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