A SURVEY OF SURFACE-WATER QUALITY ACROSS A SEQUENTIALLY RECLAIMED SURFACE MINE, THE WILDS, SOUTHEASTERN OHIO

Forty-one lakes at The Wilds, a biological preserve developed on a reclaimed surface mine, were tested for water quality (pH, TDS (mg/L), conductivity (µS), and water T (°C)) between August 17^th and September 11^th 2001. The study area is totally contained within a 13,577.3 acre drainage basin located just to the west of Cumberland, Ohio, which is part of the larger Wills Creek drainage basin. The sample location for each lake was recorded by GPS and the data was subsequently plotted on a GIS to look for spatial trends.

Water quality was poorest in the northern part of the area with TDS values ranging between 1200 and 1400 mg/L. TDS values in the middle part of the area ranged between 800 and 1000 mg/L. TDS values in the southern part of the area ranged between 100 and 500 mg/L. A minor number of lakes (20%) showed anomalous TDS values compared to the region in which they are located. Four lakes in the northern region had lower TDS values (two in the middle range and two in the lowest range). One lake in the middle region had TDS values comparable to lakes in the southern region. Three lakes in the southern region had higher TDS values (one in the high range and two in the middle range). There is also a distinct relationship between pH and TDS. Where the TDS is high (800 to 1400 mg/L, northern and middle areas) the pH is between 6.8 and 8.4. Where the TDS is low (100 to 500 mg/L, southern area) the pH is between 8.4 and 9.6.

The surface-water quality, with minor exceptions as noted above, shows a distinct north to south trend that closely follows the age of reclamation. The area that encompasses The Wilds was mined from the late 1960's to the early-1980's and was reclaimed from 1973 to 1984 in a roughly north to south progression. Potential reasons for the observed water quality variations include: (1) changes in the reclamation laws over the time period 1973 to 1984, (2) changes in the local geology within the area, and (3) varying amounts of interaction of the lakes with the groundwater, or a combination of these factors. A spring located in the southern part of the area has the highest TDS values (1800 mg/L) found at The Wilds. This high value of TDS for the groundwater suggests that varying degrees of groundwater interaction with the lakes could account for all the variations found during the survey.