Iron Furnace TU Water Quality Program Monitoring Update 2014

2. IRON FURNACE TU
MONITORING HISTORY
• ANF Satellite/Logger Network
2011 - 2014
• Three Rivers Quest Project
Northern Allegheny Basin
2013
• Three Rivers Quest
Mini-Grant Project
2013 - 2014

3. ANF Satellite/Logger Network

4. Logger Stream Deployment

5. Three Rivers Quest Project
2013
• Sampling January – December 2013
• 3RQ Partners
• Duquesne University
• Iron Furnace Trout Unlimited
• Wheeling Jesuit University
•
•
•
•
56 sample locations
Bi-weekly sampling
Field measurements and grab samples
Displayed via 3RiversQuest.org

6. 3RQ Monitoring
Network

7. Three Rivers Quest– Northern Allegheny Basin 2013
French Creek
Brokenstraw Creek
Oil Creek
Tionesta Creek
Clarion River
Allegheny River
Field
• Temperature (C)
• Specific Conductance
• pH
Laboratory
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alkalinity
Acidity
Bromide
Chloride
Sulfate
Dissolved Aluminum
Dissolved Manganese
Dissolved Sodium
Dissolved Iron
Total Suspended Solids
Total Dissolved Solids

8. Iron Furnace TU Mini-Grant Project
2013 - 2014
•
•
•
•
•
CRAWFORD COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
ELK COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
McKEAN COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
WARREN COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
NATIONAL TROUT UNLIMITED






Caldwell Creek
Gods Country
Oil Creek
Jim Zwald
Allegheny Mountain
Cornplanter

10. Regional Specific Conductivity
 Glacial Influenced Streams 200+ μS/cm
 Allegheny Plateau Streams 15 - 40 μS/cm
(1st/2nd/3rd Order)
 Oil & Gas Influenced Streams 50 + μS/cm
(Chronic Condition/Temporary Spikes)

11. Regional Specific Conductivity (μS/cm)
53 Sites

12. Interpreting Specific Conductivity
SC (µS/cm)
Oswayo Creek
2013
Outliers
150
Maximum
75th Percentile
100
Median
25th Percentile
Minimum
50
Outlier
0
Median = 95.2
n = 33,881

13. Interpreting Specific Conductivity
30
25
20
McCaferdy Run
Fall 2011
300
SC (µS/cm)
SC (µS/cm)
Salmon Creek
Trib 55118
Winter 2012
35
200
100
0

14. Interpreting Specific Conductivity

15. IFTU Sites @ USGS Stations 2013
(Northern Allegheny Basin)

16. Northern Allegheny Basin
3RQ Network 2013
 3 Bromide Detects
 Low Sulfate except 2 Clarion River Sites
 Alkalinity Levels Exceed Expectations
 Chloride and Sodium Pervasive Throughout
Northern Allegheny River and Tributaries

17. Alkalinity (mg/l as CaCO3)
(January – December 2013)
Tionesta Creek- Tionesta
Tionesta Creek- Lynch
Oil Creek- Rouseville
French Creek-Utica
Clarion- Wilcox
Clarion- Ridgway
Clarion- Cooksburg
Brokenstraw Creek- Young
Allegheny- West Hickory
Allegheny- Port Allegany
Allegheny- Eldred
0
45
90
ALKALINITY
135

18. Alkalinity (mg/l as CaCO3)
(January – December 2013)
Glacial Influenced Streams
Allegheny
Plateau Streams

19. Sulfate (mg/l)
(January – December 2013)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Tionesta Creek- Tionesta
Tionesta Creek- Lynch
Oil Creek- Rouseville
French Creek-Utica
Clarion- Wilcox
Clarion- Ridgway
Clarion- Cooksburg
Brokenstraw Creek- Young
Allegheny- West Hickory
Allegheny- Port Allegany
Allegheny- Eldred
AMD
Influence
Sulfate (mg/l)

20. Specific Conductivity (μS/cm)
(January – December 2013)
Tionesta Creek- Tionesta
Tionesta Creek- Lynch
Oil Creek- Rouseville
French Creek-Utica
Clarion- Wilcox
Clarion- Ridgway
Clarion- Cooksburg
Brokenstraw Creek- Young
Allegheny- West Hickory
Allegheny- Port Allegany
Allegheny- Eldred
0
100 200 300 400
Specific Conductivity (μS/cm)

21. Chloride(mg/l)
(January – December 2013)
Tionesta Creek- Tionesta
Tionesta Creek- Lynch
Oil Creek- Rouseville
French Creek-Utica
Clarion- Wilcox
Brokenstraw Creek- Young
Allegheny- West Hickory
Allegheny- Port Allegany
Allegheny- Eldred
0
10
20
30
Chloride (mg/l)

22. Sodium (mg/l)
(January – December 2013)
Tionesta Creek- Tionesta
Tionesta Creek- Lynch
Oil Creek- Rouseville
French Creek-Utica
Clarion- Wilcox
Brokenstraw Creek- Young
Allegheny- West Hickory
Allegheny- Port Allegany
Allegheny- Eldred
0
5 10 15 20
Sodium (mg/l)

24. Oil and Gas Production 2004-2013
(ConventionalUnconventional)
McKean
4,77374
Warren
2,9425
Forest
2,09522
Elk
86969
10,679170

25. Chappel Fork Active Well Sites
December 31, 2013
2,030 active wells/17,704 acres
1 well/9 acres

26. Contact Info:
Bruce C. Dickson
Chief Scientist
Applied Geology and Environmental Science
2402 Hookstown Grade Road, Suite 200
Clinton, PA 15026
814.806.6073 (mobile)
bdickson@appliedgeology.net

27. Our Partners
Colcom Foundation
Three Rivers Quest (3RQ)
United States Forest Service
US Army Corps of Engineers
Elk County Conservation District
McKean County Conservation District
Warren County Conservation District
Crawford County Conservation District
Applied Geology and Environmental Science
Analytical Testing Services
Trout Unlimited - National
Trout Unlimited Pennsylvania Chapters
Caldwell Creek
Gods Country
Allegheny Mountain Jim Zwald
Oil Creek
Cornplanter