1. Lindsay A. House
Daniel M. Downey
James Madison University
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
A Tale of Two Appalachian Highland
Streams: Acid Mitigation Planning and
Results

2. Little Tumbling Creek (LTC) and
North Fork Stony Creek (NFSC)
Blue – LTC
Red - NFSC

3. Acid Rain
 More acidic than natural rain (pH < 5). HNO3 and H2SO4.
 SOx and NOx emissions from coal fired power plants and
vehicles form anthropogenic atmospheric acid.
 Regional rainfall shows elevated acid levels due to
anthropogenic atmospheric acid.

4. Effect of Acid Rain on Stream Chemistry
 Acid-sensitive flora and fauna are inhibited in acidic water
 Weathering of geology – dissolved ions constitute stream chemistry
 (Ca2+) + (Mg2+) + (Na+) + (K+) = (Cl-) + (NO3
-) + (SO4
2-) + (HCO3
-)
 Bicarbonate is the only ionic ingredient that reacts with acid. This
contributes to the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of the stream
 Streams that discharge from low carbonate geology show large pH
decreases and a loss of ANC from acid injections during precipitation
events

5. Two Appalachian Highland
Streams
Little Tumbling Creek North Fork Stony Creek
 Located in Smyth and Tazewell
Counties, VA
 Clinch Mountain Wildlife
Management Area (VDGIF)
 Atmospheric acid deposition
caused upper four miles of
creek to lose its brook trout
population
 Devoid of fish for over 20 years
 Limed Jan. 2012 – 60 tons
 Located in Giles Co., VA at Glen
Alton
 Jefferson National Forest
(USFS)
 Depressed fish population due
to acidic stream conditions
 Candidate for liming

6. Stream Comparison
LTC NFSC
Watershed Area (ha) 2308 2243
Total Stream Reach (km) 11.9 6.3
Average Precipitation (m/year) 1.26 1.26
Uppermost elevation (m) 1125 989
Lowermost elevation (m) 690 786
Discharge (m3/year) 1.7 x 107 1.7 x 107
H & NH4 influx (keq/year) 403 392
Limestone Treatment Requirement
(tonnes/year)
20 20
Treatment Stream Reach (km) 9.9 5.6

7. Little Tumbling Creek Geology
 Omb – Martinsburg Shale
 D – Devonian rocks; S – Silurian
Rocks
 Oml – Limestone formations
http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngmdb/ngmdb_home.html

8. Liming of Little Tumbling Creek
 Limestone (93% CaCO3,
12 x 120 mesh) delivered on
January 31, 2002 by Global
Stone Corporation.
 Limed in Jan. 2012 because
of a new road made possible
by American Electric Power
(AEP). Total of 60 tons.
 4000 Northern strain triploid
brook trout released into
stream in May 2012 and
2013. Triploids are
placeholders for future
Southern strain brook trout.

9. Sample Collection
 Synoptic Sampling
 Samples are collected at multiple sites to provide
detailed water chemistry data from headwaters to
downstream
 Quarterly Sampling
 Samples are collected seasonally at selective sites
from headwaters to downstream

10. Sample Analysis
 All samples analyzed for pH, base metal cations
(Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+), major acid anions (Cl-,
SO4
2-, NO3
-), acid neutralizing capacity (ANC),
and aluminum (AlT) concentrations.
 Ion chromatography (Dionex ICS 3000) used for
base metal cations and major acid anions.
 Air equilibrated pH and alkalinity values found at
20 °C.
 Elemental concentrations of aluminum were
measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass
spectrometry (Agilent ICP-MS 7500).

11. LTC Sampling Sites

12. LTC Synoptic Water Chemistry
Site Elevatio
n (ft)
pH ANC Ca Al Ca/H
μeq/L ppb
1 2248 5.96 14.6 77.1 33 70.32
1A 2331 5.59 4.9 64.2 42 24.98
1B 2435 5.59 5.7 65.9 48 25.64
2 2654 5.65 8.9 67.0 42 29.93
3 2723 5.54 4.9 67.6 51 23.44
3A 2756 5.30 1.6 64.9 64 12.95
3B 2797 5.58 6.1 69.4 54 26.39
4 3016 5.81 8.5 77.9 54 50.30
5 3333 5.99 24.8 115.1 81 112.48
6 3319 5.10 -2.0 62.7 124 7.89
7 3335 4.92 -7.7 52.0 136 4.33
8 3423 4.67 -21.9 24.0 213 1.12
July 2013 Sampling

13. 2012-2013 Quarterly Data

14. Consumption Rate of Limestone

15. LTC Future Work
 Continue monitoring water
chemistry in LTC
 Introduce 40 tons of additional
Aglime limestone to increase
pH and ANC
 Use the results of LTC liming to
guide proposal for liming NFSC

16. North Fork Stony Creek History
 USFS has 100% ownership of NFSC.
 Headwaters acquired in 1920s
 Glen Alton – farm/vacation retreat from 1930s until 1980s;
located on lower reaches of NFSC. Purchased by USFS in 1999.
 1993 – Large woody debris study. Logs added to stream as
experimental restoration technique (Dolloff).

17. North Fork Stony Creek Geology
 Stu – Tuscarora
Formation
 Srh – Rose Hill Formation
 Stk – Tonoloway
Limestone and Keefer
Sandstone
 Dhr – Huntersville
Formation
 Dm – Millboro Formation
http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngmdb/ngmdb_home.html

18. NFSC Sampling Sites

19. Trends in ANC 1987 - Present

20. NFSC Water Chemistry 1987-
2013
Fall Winter Spring Summer
Average pH 5.85 ± 0.29 5.38 ± 0.29 5.36 ± 0.18 5.69 ± 0.26
Average ANC
(μeq/L)
17.4 ± 9.7 4.7 ± 6.7 3.8 ± 4.0 15.4 ± 7.1
Average pH and ANC at VT 28: 1987-2013

21. NFSC Synoptic Water Chemistry
Site Elevation
(ft)
pH ANC Ca Al Ca/H
μeq/L ppb
July 2013
3 2611 5.31 -1.6 1.5 12 0.31
10 2945 5.07 -6.9 1.6 19 0.19
October
2013
3 2611 5.96 14.2 35 31 31.92
4 2631 6.05 19.9 35.1 31 39.38
5 2855 5.77 15.0 32.9 40 19.37
6 2872 5.87 17.5 32.2 42 23.87
7 2887 5.67 13.8 32.8 54 15.34
8 2936 5.76 13.0 32.9 56 18.93
9 2940 5.61 8.5 31 60 12.63
10 2945 5.59 8.5 29.5 62 11.48
Dixon 1 2874 5.34 -5.3 20.2 57 4.42
Dixon 2 2889 5.16 -4.5 23.3 75 3.37

22. NFSC Future Work
 Continue monitoring water
chemistry
 Design low-cost plan for
limestone treatment
 The addition of 100 tons of
limestone from a nearby quarry
 Reestablish brook trout
populations and other aquatic life

23. Acknowledgements
 Bill Kittrell (VDGIF)
 George Palmer (VDGIF)
 Dawn Kirk (USFS)
 Steve DeFranco
(USFS)
 Jacob Roodman
 Sydney Fisher
 National Science
Foundation - CHE-
1062629
 U.S. Forest Service
 Virginia Department of
Game and Inland
Fisheries