Mahoney Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River that winds through Northumberland and Schuylkill Counties. With coal mining continuing since the 19th century within the region, the Mahoney Creek watershed has been heavily affected by acid mine drainage. According to the US EPA, acid mine drainage (AMD) mainly comes from abandoned coals mines and is caused when water flows over or through sulfur-bearing materials forming solutions of net acidity.
As a whole, the US EPA notes that AMD degrades more 4,500 stream miles within the mid-Atlantic region, resulting in loss of aquatic wildlife, and restricted use for recreation and public drinking water.
A $165,434 grant from the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener) is enabling the Mahanoy Creek Watershed to restore Mahoney Creek through the design of the Packer 5 Mine Drainage Treatment Project. This project will begin to address the effects of the acid mine drainage affecting Mahoney Creek and lead to restoring better water quality within the region.
