Emigh Run Headwaters Relocation Project
Boggs Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania

	Emigh Run Headwater Channel Before
	Emigh Run Headwater Channel After
	Emigh Run Headwater Channel
	Limestone Treatment Cell
	Wetland Mitigation Site at Emigh Run Headwaters

Highlights:

• Alder Run Engineering and New Miles of Blue Stream designed, permitted, and managed the construction of the relocation project.
• Project included rehabilitation of existing channel, construction of new channel, and construction of limestone treatment cells.
• The pH of the Emigh Run Headwaters improves from 3.5 - 4.2 above the project to 6.5 to 7.5 below the project.
• Through relocation and restoration efforts in the headwaters, approximately 0.3 miles of stream was restored.

Background
The Emigh Run watershed is located in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. The entire watershed is severely degraded by acid mine drainage (AMD) from past coal mining activities. Degradation begins in the headwaters at the location of this project.

A restoration plan for the Emigh Run watershed was completed by New Miles of Blue Stream in December of 2004. The plan identified twelve priority treatment projects in the watershed. The relocation of the headwaters of Emigh Run was the first priority project for the restoration of Emigh Run, which is a tributary to Moshannon Creek.

Alder Run Engineering served as an engineering subcontractor for this project, and was responsible for the design, permitting, and construction inspection and management of the Emigh Run Headwaters Relocation Project. Our activities included development of state and Federal wetland encroachment and waterway obstruction permit applications and a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) application for stormwater associated with construction activities. Final products included a project design report, construction plans and details, project manual, and project specifications.

During previous surface mining activities, the headwaters of Emigh Run were diverted away from their original stream channel, and mining progressed through the original channel. Acid mine spoil was placed in the original channel. Over time, the stream diversion failed, and Emigh Run again flowed back in its original channel, which was full of mine spoil. The contact with mine spoil and other small AMD discharges related to the prior surface mining polluted Emigh Run with acidity and metals.

This project design relocated the headwaters away from the acid mine spoils and back into the existing diversion channel. A permanent diversion berm was constructed to prevent the headwaters from contacting mine spoil, the diversion channel was improved by the installation of rock lining, and new channel sections were constructed where needed. Over 600 feet of channel was either improved or constructed. A trapezoidal rock lined channel configuration was selected as opposed to natural stream channel designs due to the absence of aquatic life in the remainder of the stream because of AMD impairment. The trapezoidal channel geometry maximizes the contact of the stream flow with the limestone lining while still providing a stable channel geometry.

A series of three limestone cells were incorporated into the project in the area of the abandoned stream channel to treat any AMD seepage from the spoil area. The cells were designed to have rock-lined spillways for discharge to ensure precipitates remained trapped in the cells. The rock spillways and the associated rock aprons prevent soil erosion.

The project has had a great impact on the water quality in Emigh Run. The stream displays a pH of between 3.5 and 4.2 above the project, and a pH between 6.5 and 7.5 below the project. Discharge from the limestone cells has displayed a pH of over 7.0 for the first four months following project completion.

PROJECT OWNER: Boggs Township / Emigh Run / Lakeside Watershed Association, Inc.
POINT OF CONTACT: Anna Mae Pezzulla, ERLWA President