Flowing through Pennsylvania’s northern hills, the Tioga River is at the heart of a restoration story decades in the making.
The Tioga River begins as a small stream on Armenia Mountain in Bradford County. It flows southwesterly until it reaches the Blossburg, PA area in Tioga County. Here it turns north, ultimately flowing into New York State. In New York it joins the Cowanesque River to form the Chemung River. The Chemung River crosses back into Pennsylvania and enters the Susquehanna River near Sayre, PA in Bradford County.
For years, Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) has flowed from closed coal mines into the Tioga River from Fall Brook, Morris Run, and Coal Creek. The Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) became involved in the River’s recovery by acquiring the Coal Creek property. This key site provides access to the largest mine discharge in the Tioga River watershed. That access is essential to designing and implementing real solutions to clean the water and restore aquatic life.
The Legacy of Coal Mining in the Blossburg Region
In 1792 coal was discovered in the Upper Tioga River Watershed near Blossburg, PA. Deep and strip mining for coal were major industries in the region through the 1980s with Mining operations ending in 1990.
A piece of coal found on NPC’s Coal Creek property serves as a reminder of Blossburg’s industrial heritage and the lasting impact of mining on the Tioga River.
What is Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD)
One of the most lasting impacts of abandoned mines is Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) — polluted water that flows out of abandoned mines. AMD often carries acid and dissolved metals such as iron and aluminum.
AMD has degraded the water quality of the Tioga River so that it can no longer support aquatic life. Some of the more heavily polluted tributaries have pH levels similar to battery acid.
The tributaries entering the Tioga River north of Blossburg, PA do no suffer from AMD pollution. While these tributaries help to dilute the AMD, the pollution emanating from the mines is so severe that the River cannot recover.
Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) happens when water flows through old coal mines, picking up iron and other metals along the way. When this water meets air (oxygen), chemical reactions occur. One reaction turns the iron orange, staining rocks and streambeds.
NPC’s Coal Creek Property & Restoration Work
Various partners are working together to restore the Tioga River.
An active treatment plant has been designed to treat the acid mine drainage and construction permits are being applied for. The plant will collect five discharges and pipe them to a central location for treatment. The plant will be able to treat up to 15 million gallons of mine water a day. The treated water will be put into Morris Run and Fall Brook, restoring both streams as well as the Tioga River. A restored Tioga River will once again support aquatic life and recreational fishing opportunities.
In 2022, NPC purchased the 216-acre Coal Creek property in Blossburg. Coal Creek runs through the property, with two mine discharges flowing into it about a half-mile above its confluence with the Tioga River.
This access is critical to designing solutions that clean the water and restore aquatic life.
NPC’s Coal Creek property serves as a critical access site for treating AMD pollution in the Tioga River.
Partnerships at Work
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection have been working in the Tioga River watershed with the Tioga County Concerned Citizens Committee and Tioga County Conservation District for nearly 20 years to clean up the Tioga River. Over the years the team has studied the various mine discharges to understand what types of pollution are being released at that particular discharge and to understand how each discharge impacts the larger, Tioga River.
Eventually NPC will work with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and the property will become part of the Tioga State Forest.
The Partners:
- Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy
- Tioga County Concerned Citizens Committee
- Tioga County Conservation District
- Susquehanna River Basin Commission
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’s Bureau of Forestry
- Hillside Rod & Gun Club
- Tiadaghton Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Community Comes Together
As restoration work continues, the Rivers, Coal & Crafts series offers an exciting way for the community and visitors to follow along and get involved! Through hands-on workshops, craft projects, and storytelling, participants of all ages will learn about the decades-long impacts of AMD on the Tioga River — and how local partnerships are working to restore the Tioga River and its landscape.
The Rivers, Coal & Crafts series provides opportunities for the community and visitors to engage in restoration efforts. Hands-on workshops, craft projects, and storytelling show the impacts of AMD and the ongoing restoration.
Urban Sketch Workshop
Tie Dye Party
Building a Community Water Quilt
Upcoming Series Events:
Past Series Events:
These events are made possible through funding from:
To make these projects possible, NPC is partnering with:
Community Water Quilt
Urban Sketch Workshop
Tioga River Gnome
Please visit the NPC events page for additional event updates.
