What does this look like to you?
If you guessed that this is a polluted creek, you're right! The color is from iron bacteria or yellow boy.
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid. |
Mr. Jim Parker, Mrs. Harris, and Ms. Paula took us to see the acid mine drainage. Mr. Parker grew up in the area. He is an expert on mining and was an engineer in the mining industry for many years. He said, "Mining was the major industry in the area around Caffee Creek from the late 1800's until the 1930's. The mining was underground. In the 1970's the area was strip mined. Both types of mining have greatly affected the watershed". Elizabeth, our expert on acid mine drainage told us, "The old mine shafts have collapsed, but water still pours out. Soils that were exposed from both strip mining and underground mining are the reason for the polluted water. Rainfall is slightly acidic and when it touches the newly exposed soil, sulfuric acid forms. The acid then pulls heavy metals out of the rock layers into the water." The picture is of one of the creeks that flows out of an underground mine shaft. There was a very strong sulfur smell to go along with the orange water.
| Acid rain is rain, snow, or fog that is polluted by acid in the atmosphere and damages the environment. |
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This is a picture of the seep from the collapsed mine
The coal in this area has lower sulfur than most coal, but there is still enough to cause problems.
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Notice the shiny film on top of the water. Manganese has a sheen to it. It is one of the heavy metals released by sulfuric acid formed from rain or creek water hitting the turned soil. This heavy metal ends up in Caffee Creek and eventually in the Cahaba River.
How would you like to live in this? Notice the frog in the water.
Check out the shiny film on the water. That's manganese.
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Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Salter
This map shows where the water from the acidic creek enters Caffee Creek. The area is about
one mile upstream from our monitoring site.
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A beaver dam can be seen from the old railroad bed leading to the acid mine drainage. |
Elizabeth has seen evidence of beavers at most acid mine drainage sites she's visited.
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Do you see the small sticks in the water? What does this mean? If you guessed that beavers are in the area, you're right!
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