Acid mine drainage significantly diminished aquatic life in Morgan County, Tennessee’s Crab Orchard Creek. As a result, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation added Crab Orchard Creek to the state’s Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998 for pH and siltation due to pollution from abandoned mines.
Best management practices were installed in the watershed, including intensive restoration activities to abandoned mines. These abatement activities led to the attainment of water quality standards in a 2.3-mile segment of Crab Orchard Creek. The segment was removed from the state’s list of impaired waters in 2010.
The complete success story can be found here.
Source: US EPA
Hamilton Water
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Andrea Weissenbuehler
