In 1996, West Virginia's BRWA and WVWRI developed a plan to treat Swamp Run’s acid mine drainage. 28 years later, 2 projects had dramatically improved the stream’s pH with lasting gains

Acid mine drainage (AMD) can create long-term water quality problems in areas affected by abandoned coal mining. At Swamp Run in Upshur County, West Virginia, polluted water from buried coal refuse had caused violations of water quality standards for decades. Efforts led by the Buckhannon River Watershed Association (BRWA) and the West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) have since produced substantial improvements in the stream’s water quality.