Short term biotic response before and during the treatment of an acid mine drainage with sodium carbonate

Abstract

The lower portion of Upper Three Runs, a woodland stream in central Pennsylvania, receives acid drainage from a strip mine. In 1974, the effect of this input on pH and benthic invertebrates was studied by Tomkiewicz & Dunson (1977). We sampled the same stations in 1986 and then treated the mine drainage with sodium carbonate for seven days in an effort to evaluate the short term colonization response of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and invertebrates. No differences in the pattern of pH and invertebrate distribution was found between the 1974 and 1986 results, although pH values and invertebrate densities were higher in 1986. Total number of invertebrates and number of taxa colonizing bricks during three pre-treatment time periods (8, 10, 18 days) did not differ from the single treatment period (7 days). However, two species of Baetis (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) did increase in the treatment section during sodium carbonate application. The number of brook trout also increased in the treatment section, as compared to one pre-treatment estimate. These results indicate that motile species are able to respond within seven days, whereas, longer treatment may be required to produce community wide responses.