Influence of Coal Mining on Water Quality in Marion and Mahaska Counties, Iowa

Authors

Thomas P. Nesler, Iowa State University
Roger W. Bachmann, Iowa State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Research

Keywords

water quality, acid mine drainage, Iowa streams

Abstract

In the spring and summer of 1976, a water-sampling program was carried out on the streams of Marion and Mahaska counties, where a significant portion of the coal mining in Iowa has occurred. Streams with underground mines or combinations of underground and surface mines in their watersheds had decreased values for alkalinity and increased values for specific conductance and sulfates, indicating the presence of acid mine drainage. Unless reclamation procedures are incorporated into standard mining operations, an expansion of Iowa coal mining could lead to an increase in the severity of this problem.

Publication Date

December 1979

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

86

Issue

4

First Page

149

Last Page

153

Copyright

©1979 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Nesler, Thomas P. and Bachmann, Roger W. (1979) "Influence of Coal Mining on Water Quality in Marion and Mahaska Counties, Iowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 86(4), 149-153.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol86/iss4/9