Majestic Mines

Approaching these Majestic Mines on this cold and gloomy fall evening was an experience like no other. As we pulled into the mines there was an ire feeling about this whole place. The landscape looked as if we were entering a scary movie scene. As we gathered together as a class we all noticed that the water had a rustic color to it and there were no signs of any wildlife around. The rustic orange water comes from an old coal mine that dates back to the early 1900’s. The iron pigments from the mine have killed everything in its path leaving nothing but acidic water behind. As we learned more about the mines I found out that the mines were leaking because they were collapsed into subsidence holes. Subsidence holes are where mines collapsed; these holes fill up with water and distribute polluted water to near by lakes and rivers.

After learning about the mines and getting a little more back round information, I put on an over sized pair of boots to test the pH levels of the water. As I put these boots on and crossed this small wooden plank, I entered my feet into a pool full of orange sludge. The sludge was thick and would stain any article in clothing it could. We were asked to take to reading from the mine. One from the creek and one from the mine; to ensure that my reading were accurate I held my pH reading in the water for a solid minute. After I got both reading, I walked back over the plank and compared my results to the pH bottle. My reading read a three out of the mines mouth and a four a little further down the stream. Out guide informed my that my reading were so acidic that it was comparable to vinegar and soda. Mr. Blair explained that nothing can live in when there is a pH level of three.

Although the Majestic Mines produce over one million gallons of acid discharge a year. The Sunday Creek Watershed Group is working extensively to restore and preserve this water. While they are working on decontaminating this water they are also applying research to learn more about these Majestic Mines. The Sunday Creek Watershed Group has a major task ahead of them, but with research and hard work I feel they will get this water cleaned up.

Stephen