Blackwater As with other
blackwater rivers, the color of West Virginia's Blackwater River results from the
leaching of tannins from the decaying leaves of vegetation adjoining the stream in its upper reaches, which are slow moving. Fallen needles from stands of
eastern hemlock and
red spruce contribute primarily to this, although
rhododendron,
mountain laurel and the
sphagnum bogs of
Canaan Valley also contribute. The Blackwater is also typical in having transparent, acidic, and oligotrophic (very low nutrient) water.
Acid mine drainage Beginning in the 1880s, the Blackwater River watershed (especially the segment of the North Fork of the Blackwater River between the towns of
Thomas and
Douglas) suffered extreme environmental degradation due to
deep mining and
coke production. This was exacerbated by the
surface mining activities of the 1960s and '70s, which brought about a severe decline in water quality due to
acid mine drainage (AMD). In recent years, the
limestone treatment of AMD in the Blackwater River has met with success with the effort receiving an award from the U.S.
Office of Surface Mining. AMD is created when
sulfite-bearing
mineral strata are exposed to air and rainwater, such as when
surface mining occurs. The
sulfuric acid produced from the sulfite reaction can dissolve metals such as
iron,
aluminum, and
magnesium. By 2004, the combination of acid and dissolved metals drainage had destroyed or damaged about of streams in
Appalachia, including the Blackwater River and streams in its watershed. Restoration of the Blackwater River watershed was a costly and complex task involving two large projects. The Douglas Highwall Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Project installed 16,000 tons (14,400 tonnes) of limestone in a "Wetland/Anoxic Limestone Drain (WALD) system" A six-drum water-powered limestone grinding station adds limestone slurry to the water flowing down Beaver Creek. A
Swedish-designed limestone powder dosing system was also installed as backup to the drum system. ==Gallery==