12/4/96

CONTACT: Kenneth Edwards, Civil Engineering, 614-593-1471

ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University has received a $120,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to investigate the origin of contaminated water in streams and tributaries that feed Moxahala Creek in Perry County.

The two-year project will include tests of water, which has become acidic following years of strip mining. By examining the creek's tributaries, researchers hope to determine which areas are providing the largest source of acid to the water system, said Kenneth Edwards, assistant professor of civil engineering in the university's Russ College of Engineering and Technology. Edwards is principal investigator on the project.

"Fish and most other forms of aquatic life can't survive in acidic water," Edwards said. "From an aesthetic standpoint, the acid causes an orange sediment to form on the bottom of the creek, giving the water an orange tint." Although mining in the area was completed years ago, Edwards said the damage to the water supply will continue to be a problem until restoration efforts are undertaken. Examining water quality and the primary sources of acid in the streams is the first step toward devising a cost efficient plan to restore the area to it's pre-mined state.

"This project provides us with an opportunity to take steps toward improving the environment of the creek while offering a unique learning and research opportunity for our faculty and students," Edwards said.

Students and faculty will measure acidity in streams around the three-mile Moxahala Creek and record the water quality data on a map designed using the Global Positioning System, a network of satellites used to obtain exact geographical coordinates of objects. The map will be computerized to enable engineers, who may one day work on restoration efforts, easy access to information on the location of streams and acid levels.

Other faculty involved in the project include Ben Stuart, associate professor of civil engineering; Mary Stoertz, assistant professor of geological sciences; and Moid Ahmad, professor of geology. Ryan Eberhard, a graduate student in civil engineering, and Branco Ilsovic, a graduate student in geology, are also working on the project.