NANTICOKE, Pa. — Water flows through the Espy Run Stream near Nanticoke, as it has now for the past year. However, it didn't always flow this freely.
The 5,000 linear foot stream was part of the restoration project by Earth Conservancy. Terry Ostrowski, the president and CEO of Earth Conservancy, says the non-profit is looking to restore 16,000 acres of land in and around Nanticoke. The land is where the Blue Coal Corporation used to sit years ago. The business was part of the Glen Alden Coal Company.
"Where we are right now, we're in the Nanticoke Creek watershed, and if we were back here in the 1800s, We'd actually be in the Nanticoke Creek stream," said Ostrowski.
Creeks and streams often got in the way of Coal mining companies, the businesses would divert or reroute the waterways, including Nanticoke Creek.
"Especially when they started surface mining the area, they would strip the surface and move the stream so they could get to the coal," said Ostrowski.
Years later, those same coal mines continue to cause problems to the watershed throughout Luzerne County.
"A third of the watershed, which has the best water quality in it, never makes it down to the Susquehanna River, except for when it starts to infiltrate down into the sub-surface mine pools," he added.
When the Nanticoke Creek seeps into the old coal mines below, it creates highly acidic water known as acid mine drainage. It eventually drains out of boreholes, like the facility off of Dundee Road in Hanover Township. Water that you can see by its bright orange color. It also gives off a sulfur scent.
"When that water comes out, it leeches a lot of the minerals and metals out of the coal seams in the underground," explained Ostrowski. "When it hits the surface, it starts to precipitate out, and that's what we see as the acid mine drainage or the yellow boy."
The goal is to restore and reroute nearly three miles of streams to keep the water flowing so it doesn't sink into the old mines.
Earth Conservancy has controlled this land since 1993, but the project is now getting an extra boost. The non-profit has received a combined $18 million in federal and EPA grants to help reverse the impacts of the old coal mines.
"I don't think there's too many other areas in the nation that you can go and see the damage that we have in the area here. Just to be able to restore this watershed to is natural condition is really big benefit on the quality of life here," he added.
Nearly 10,000 acres will be saved for conservation efforts. Other parts of the land could be repurposed for economic development. There are efforts to preserve some land for recreational purposes, and Ostrowski also says there's a plan to keep ATV riders happy.
Earth Conservancy is hoping to complete this phase of the project within five years.