To help the water resource restoration efforts of the States, OSM solicited candidate streams where remedial projects could be implemented to improve water quality. The purpose of this event is to raise public awareness of Indiana's AMD problem and the impact local communities can make in addressing these problems, and to announce funding approval for Indiana's Appalachian Clean Streams project. The South Fork of the Patoka River is a highly polluted river, full of acid mine drainage. The river is a 17 mile channelized, low gradient, constantly flooding warm water stream, passing through Pike and Gibson Counties. Of the 20,000 acres of unreclaimed abandoned mine land remaining in Pike County, an estimated 3,000 acres are producing acid water runoff on a continuous basis.
Participants are excited about the partnership and the community effort it represents.
Federal, state, and local agencies, industry, environmental groups, local colleges, and private citizens are working together to restore water resources that have been adversely impacted by mining. This event provides the opportunity to highlight the positive efforts to correct the pollution caused by past mining practices, including acid drainage that has damaged many miles of the South Fork of the Patoka River.