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Project WV 173: Shannopin Mine

The Shannopin mine (8200 acres) was mined from the 1950's until 1993 by the Shannopin Mining Company, Bobtown PA. It closed in 1993 and is currently in bond forfeiture status with PADEP.
The most likely discharge point for this water would be the main portal near Bobtown (818 feet elevation), on the northwest side of Dunkard Creek and about 20 feet above it. If discharge occurs unabated, it would go directly into the creek. The estimated discharge flow is about 800 gpm. Its water level rise has shown seasonality, and the future flow rate of its discharge may also fluctuate seasonally.
While no accurate estimate of the chemistry of early discharge water is available, the flow from the mine for the first few years is expected to be very high in iron and of pH.

pH
4.02
Eh
343
DO(mg/L)
<0.5
SC(microsiemens/cm)
20400
Temp(C)
17.9
Field Alkalinity
<0.3
Na(mg/L)
3427
K(mg/L)
13.8
Si(mg/L)
33.1
Fe(mg/L)
4082
Mn(mg/L)
35.4
Al(mg/L)
200
Ca(mg/L)
396
Mg(mg/L)
760
S0 4 (mg/L)
20935
Cl 2 (mg/L)
53
F(mg/L)
2.57
NO(mg/L as N)
30.05
Mine water levels were measured intermittently since 1998 and continuously since 2001. Recently, the flooding rate has been on the order of 16 feet/year, and in January 2003 the water level was 771