Managing TDS in the Upper Monongahela River Basin

Managing TDS in the Upper Monongahela River Basin Project WRI 119 Paul Ziemkiewicz, Ph. D Director West Virginia Water Research Institute 1 West Virginia University Water Research Institute

Project Goals 1. Identify and monitor the primary components of TDS in the Upper Monongahela River Basin 2. Identify the primary sources of TDS 3. Understand the relationship between stream flow and [TDS] 4. Evaluate and develop efficient and effective methods for controlling TDS concentration 2 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Pittsburgh Basin-Major AMD plants 3 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Major AMD treatment Plants-Upper Mon River 4 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Background on TDS in the Upper Monongahela Basin: 1. The river was dead due to untreated AMD prior to 1970 2. AMD treatment brought back fisheries 3. As UG mining moved down dip toward the center of the Pittsburgh Coal Basin, salinity increased 4. No basin-wide flow/chemistry monitoring until mid 2009 5. TDS loads needed to understand assimilative capacity 5 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Elizabeth PA L/D Hourly sampling: 2003 to 2008 [TDS] mg/L vs. Flow 0 -5, 000 cfs 1000 Assimilative Capacity ? 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 6 319 895 1110 1400 est TDS 1650 West Virginia Water Research Institute Linear(est 1980 TDS) 2370 3000 3560 4370

Elizabeth PA L/D Hourly sampling: 2003 to 2008 [TDS] mg/L vs. Flow 5, 000 -10, 000 cfs 7 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Elizabeth PA L/D Hourly sampling: 2003 to 2008 [TDS] mg/L vs. Flow >10, 000 cfs 8 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Estimated TDS loads (tpy) from Upper Mon AMD treatment plants average observed maximum observed full pump capacity 153, 340 190, 784 257, 950 Robinson Run (Mon Co. ) 11, 000 22, 000 17, 600 Flaggy Meadows Run 12, 205 34, 166 47, 300 Indian Ck 12, 975 30, 008 115, 500 2, 200 4, 400 11, 550 10, 043 36, 938 36, 300 3, 900 9, 779 27, 500 205, 662 328, 075 513, 700 Dunkard Ck Paw Ck Buffalo Ck Robinson Run (Marion Co. ) Total 9 West Virginia Water Research Institute

10 West Virginia Water Research Institute WF 01 West Fork River DS Worthington, WV TY 02 Tygart Valley River, Coalfax, WV Mon 03 Monongahela River at MUB DE 04 Deckers Creek in Morgantown Mon 05 Monongahela River at Point Marion, PA CR 06 Cheat River at tailrace of dam DU 07 Dunkard Creek Shannopin Gage Mon 08 Monongahela River at Masontown PA WH 09 Whiteley Creek TM 10 Tenmile Creek near Route 88 Mon 11 Monongahela River, Elizabeth PA YR 12 Youghiogheny River near Sutersville, PA Water Research Institute

Monongahela River TDS Loading 28 July 2009 2500 Alk 2000 TDS (tpy x 1, 000) SO 4 1500 Cl 1000 Mg 500 Ca Na 2 -1 -1 on M YR 1 0 -1 -0 on M TM 9 7 -0 DU 6 -0 -0 on M CR 5 4 -0 -0 on M DE 3 2 -0 TY W F 0 1 0 Station ID 11 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Monongahela River TDS Loading 11 August 2009 TDS (tpy x 1, 000) 2500 Alk 2000 SO 4 1500 Cl Mg 1000 Ca 500 Na -12 YR 11 Mo n- 0 -1 TM 09 Mo n- 7 -0 DU 6 -0 CR 05 Mo n- 4 -0 DE 03 Mo n- 2 -0 TY WF 01 0 Station ID 12 West Virginia Water Research Institute

TDS (tpy x 1, 000) Monongahela River TDS Loading 8 September 2009 2500 Alk 2000 SO 4 Cl 1500 Mg 1000 Ca 500 Na 2 -1 -1 on M YR 1 0 -1 -0 on M TM 9 7 -0 DU 6 -0 -0 on M CR 5 4 -0 DE M on -0 3 -0 2 TY W F 0 1 0 Station ID 13 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Monongahela River TDS Loading 22 September 2009 2500 Alk TDS (tpy x 1, 000) 2000 SO 4 1500 Cl 1000 Mg Ca 500 Na 12 YR M on 11 10 TM M on 09 08 W H 07 DU 06 CR M on 05 04 DE M on 03 02 TY W F 0 1 0 Station ID 14 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Monongahela River TDS Loading 3 November 2009 2500 Alk TDS (tpy x 1, 000) 2000 SO 4 1500 Cl Mg 1000 Ca 500 Na 15 West Virginia Water Research Institute 12 YR M on 11 10 TM M on 09 08 W H 07 DU 06 CR M on 05 04 DE M on 03 02 TY W F 0 1 0 Station ID Water Research Institute

Monongahela River TDS Loading 2 December 2009 2500 Alk TDS (tpy x 1, 000) 2000 SO 4 1500 Cl 1000 Mg 500 Ca 12 YR M on 11 10 TM M on 09 08 W H 07 DU 06 CR M on 05 04 DE M on 03 02 Na TY W F 0 1 0 Station ID 16 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Monongahela River TDS Loading 21 January 2010 2500 Alk TDS (tpy x 1, 000) 2000 SO 4 1500 Cl Mg 1000 Ca 500 Na 12 YR M on 11 10 TM M on 09 08 W H 07 DU 06 CR M on 05 04 DE M on 03 02 TY W F 0 1 0 Station ID 17 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Between 1940 and 2008 the flow in the Upper Monongahela River* was > 2, 800 cfs 65% of the time 18 West Virginia Water Research Institute

mg/L Dunkard Ck: TDS concentration and load vs. flow July 09 to Jan 10 19 West Virginia Water Research Institute

20 West Virginia Water Research Institute

21 West Virginia Water Research Institute

22 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Flow vs. EC: July 09 to Feb 10 23 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Distribution of TDS in Dunkard Ck-2008 average 2008 TDS mg/L US Steele Shaft 24 Flow (cfs) TDS (tpy) 371 361. 7 123, 285 56% Steele Shaft 9178 10. 0 89, 417 40% AML discharges 1525 7. 0 12, 085 5% Mouth of Dunkard * 1078 378. 7 221, 736 101% West Virginia Water Research Institute

Distribution of TDS in Dunkard Ck-2008 TDS mg/L high flow 2008 US Steele Shaft AML discharges Mouth of Dunkard medium flow 2008 US Steele Shaft AML discharges Mouth of Dunkard low flow 2008 US Steele Shaft AML discharges Mouth of Dunkard 25 West Virginia Water Research Institute 324 8439 2177 413 352 9765 1807 742 436 9330 1438 2080 Flow (cfs) 758. 5 13. 6 4. 9 777. 0 TDS (tpy) 12 -May-08 243, 766 113, 467 8, 060 316, 280 77% 36% 3% 115% 251. 6 10. 4 4. 0 266. 0 17 -Jan-08 88, 659 100, 566 7, 959 194, 530 46% 52% 4% 101% 83. 9 5. 9 3. 2 93. 0 17 -Nov-08 37, 430 54, 217 7, 857 190, 654 20% 28% 4% 52% Water Research Institute

How much TDS can enter the Mon while maintaining a [TDS] of 500 mg/L? 9 Oct 09 flow TDS difference Drought flow TDS difference High Flow flow TDS difference 26 Pt Marion PA 1, 305 357 459, 176 Pt Marion 400 500 197, 120 Pt Marion 12, 000 5, 913, 600 West Virginia Water Research Institute Elizabeth PA 2, 210 500 1, 089, 088 629, 912 cfs mg/L tpy Elizabeth 500 246, 400 49, 280 Elizabeth 18, 000 500 8, 870, 400 2, 956, 800 cfs mg/L tpy tpy Water Research Institute

Coal Industry TDS Working Group Formed in January 2010 Consists of the major coal producers in the upper Monongahela basin Supported by ongoing TDS monitoring and assessment carried out by the WV Water Research Institute 27 West Virginia Water Research Institute

The relationship among: flow, TDS Load and resulting [TDS] in Dunkard Ck. Remember: the total load from AMD treatment plants normally ranges between 100, 000 to 300, 000 tpy Q (Dunkard Ck) TDS load [TDS] 28 30 120 300 cfs 148, 170 296, 340 tons/yr 5, 000 West Virginia Water Research Institute 1, 250 1, 000 mg/L Water Research Institute

Where: L= cumulative TDS load (tpy) from all AMD treatment plants in the watershed La =TDS load (TPY) allowable to meet target in-stream TDS concentration (TDS t) Pi = pumping rate (gpm) at a given AMD plant Qs = Stream flow (cfs) TDSt=target TDS concentration (mg/L) TDSi = TDS concentration (mg/L) from a given AMD plant TDSs = in-stream TDS concentration (mg/L) FOS = Factor of Safety n = number of AMD treatment plants in the watershed i = individual AMD treatment plant 29 West Virginia Water Research Institute

The math is straightforward and therefore predictive ability is high: For example, for a watershed with three AMD treatment plants: (i= 1, 2, 3), P=2, 500 gpm, TDS = 5, 000, then P=5, 500 gpm, TDS = 10, 000, then P=7, 500 gpm, TDS = 6, 000, then Total = 30 West Virginia Water Research Institute L 1 = 27, 500 tpy L 2 = 121, 000 tpy L 3 = 99, 000 tpy L = 247, 500 tpy Water Research Institute

Managing TDS in the Monongahela River Basin Things that can be done in the near term Develop relationship between flow and TDS Management tools: Identify Assimilative Capacity Coordinate release of treated AMD With higher river flows What are the critical flows in the Mon and the tributaries? Manage by month? Season? Instantaneous flow? Will require: Monitoring program: chemistry and flows Organization/Coordination: Industry TDS Working Group Understanding of mine water storage capacities More responsive pumping systems Alternatively we’ll probably see end of pipe discharge limits for TDS 31 West Virginia University Water Research Institute

Conclusions: None of the TDS constituents are cumulative or toxic at reasonable concentrations Upper Mon AMD plants generate between 200, 000 and 500, 000 tpy of TDS That accounts for between 20 to 100% of TDS in the Mon For much of the year the Mon can easily assimilate that sort of loading while maintaining a [TDS] below 500 mg/L It should be possible to develop a managed, load-weighted discharge program to control [TDS] at the desired levels That will require organization, commitment , transparency and accountability 32 West Virginia Water Research Institute

Questions? Managing TDS in the Monongahela River Paul Ziemkiewicz, Ph. D Director West Virginia Water Research Institute West Virginia University 33 West Virginia Water Research Institute