Event, On the Blog, Water

Tie-Dye and the Tioga River: Turning Pollution into Art 

Blossburg – On Friday, June 27, more than 80 people gathered at the Blossburg Memorial Library for an afternoon of creativity, learning, and community connection at a free tie-dye party. However, this was not your typical tie-dye event. Instead, participants used an orange dye made from an unusual source: abandoned mine drainage (AMD). 

Erica and Maddy from the Tioga County Conservation District help out at the Tie-Dye Party held at the Blossburg Memorial Library.
Inside, NPC staff, Sara and Jesse, lead participants through a macro-matching game while waiting for their turn to tie-dye.

Why the Tioga River Runs Orange

AMD happens when water flows through old coal mines, picking up iron and metals along the way. When this water reaches meets air (oxygen) chemical reactions takes place. One chemical reaction is the iron in the water turns orange. This orange can stains the rocks and streambeds. This is what causes some parts of the Tioga River to have that bright orange color. 

At the tie-dye party, guests of all ages learned how AMD has affected the Tioga River for years. AMD from old mines along Fall Brook, Morris Run, and Coal Creek continues to flow into the river, harming water quality and aquatic life. Rather than just talking about the problem, we turned it into something colorful. Using pigment made from iron oxide collected from AMD, guests created one-of-a-kind t-shirts they could take home. 

The bright orange color in parts of the Tioga River comes from iron in abandoned mine drainage (AMD). As the iron-rich water meets air, chemical reactions turn the riverbed orange.

Access Leads to Action

The Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) is playing a key role in the Tioga River’s recovery. By acquiring the Coal Creek property, NPC helped make it possible for scientists and engineers to reach the largest mine discharge site in the entire Tioga River watershed. This access is an important step toward designing and building treatment systems that can clean the water and bring fish and other aquatic life back to the river.

Rivers, Coal and Crafts: Highlighting the Tioga River Restoration

This event is part of the ongoing Rivers, Coal and Crafts series, made possible by grant funding from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), the Jones Foundation, and Friends of the Blossburg Memorial Library.  

The series, coordinated by NPC, Tioga County Conservation District, and the Blossburg Memorial Library celebrates the Blossburg community and shares information about the Tioga River’s ongoing restoration.  

Through hands on workshops, craft projects, and storytelling, participants of all ages are learning about the decades-long impacts of Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) on the Tioga River, and how local partnerships are working together to restore the health of the river and its surrounding landscape.