The Shoup’s Run Watershed Association has created a true success story from the Growing Greener Program.

When the group started in 1998, both Shoup’s Run and its major tributary, Miller Run, were a mess. Both streams had been listed on the state’s list of impaired waters and had problems with flooding and erosion, pollution from acid mine drainage and metals, and contained very little to no aquatic life.

But, hidden within this impacted watershed was an ecological gem. The headwaters of Miller Run contained a surviving population of native brook trout.

The Shoup’s Run Watershed Association used the Growing Greener program to install multiple treatment systems for the acid mine drainage, including two limestone passive treatment beds, in-stream limestone sand dosing, and an experimental FeAlMn passive treatment system.

The FeAlMn system is also known as Minersville, in homage to the small coal-mining town that once resided there. The Minersville project included removal of an old highwall, disposal of discarded appliances and junk cars, construction of the treatment system and also a settling pond to keep metals out of the stream.

To further improve water quality, the Shoup’s Run Watershed Association applied to Growing Greener again in order to repair the road alongside Miller Run. This access road for State Game lands No. 67 was previously constructed with mine spoil, contributing to the acidic conditions of the stream.

Growing Greener funded this experimental project to reconstruct the road with high-calcium-carbonate limestone as another way to passively add alkalinity to the stream. The roadside ditches are no longer stained with iron after rain events.

Together, these systems have improved the water quality of Miller Run from an acidic stream to near-neutral conditions. These improvements have allowed the brook trout, once-isolated in the headwaters of the stream, to now inhabit the entire 4.5 miles of Miller Run.

Biologists from the Fish and Boat Commission have begun the process of upgrading the status of the stream, potentially to a Class B Wild Trout Stream. These brook trout are believed to be some of the last populations remaining in the entire Broad Top area.

The Shoup’s Run Watershed Association is continuing their work on the main branch of Shoup’s Run with another round of Growing Greener funding to begin work on the Green Garden Road passive treatment system.

With continued improvements to the main branch of Shoup’s Run, it is possible that one day these brook trout will spread throughout the area.

Approximately 10 percent of the surface area of the Shoup Run basin has been surface mined. Much of the mining activity was done prior to current regulations and few of the mines were reclaimed to current specifications. Surface mining activity ended in the early 1980’s. There is currently no active mining in the watershed.

Deep mines underlie approximately 12 percent of the Shoup Run watershed. Many abandoned deep mine entries and openings still exist in the Shoup Run Basin. Deep mining was done below the water table in many locations. In order to dewater the mines, drifts were driven into the deep mines to allow water to flow down slope and out of many of the mines.

In a 1981 study sponsored by the Bedford and Huntingdon County Conservation Districts and Planning Commissions, a total of 11 deep mine drainage points were found to be discharging from abandoned mine openings.

More background is available online.