Lower George's Creek Project

Contact Information

OSM/VISTA: Cassandra McCrae
Supervisor: Kelly Martin
Sponsoring Organization: George's Creek Watershed Association
Address: 19018 Legislative Rd., SW Barton, MD 21521
Phone: 301.268.8133
E-Mail: info@gcwsa.org
Website: http://gcwsa.org
U.S. Congressional Districts: 6th
County: Allegany

The George's Creek Watershed is located in Allegany and Garrett Counties, Maryland. Headwaters for George's Creek begin in Frostburg, Maryland and George's Creek ends as it enters the North Branch of the Potomac River in Westernport, Maryland. The drainage area for the watershed lies between Danās Mountain and Big Savage Mountain. Towns within the watershed area include: Frostburg, Midlothian, Midland, Lonaconing, Barton, Luke, and Westernport. Danās Mountain State Park and portions of the Savage River State Forest also lie within the George's Creek Watershed.

As a young military surveyor, George Washington in 1755 described the terrain around George's Creek, as possessing "the fuel of the future" - so much mineral wealth as to "astonish the countries of the Old World." (Maryland Department of Environment/ Bureau of Mines, 2003)

During the 1830's the George's Creek coal industry received a boost from the first Maryland Geological Survey that reported the area had coal of an extraordinary thickness. By 1881 all of George's Creek could be described as "one continuous street and town, twenty-four miles in length, inhabited by miners and their families" (MDE/BOM, 2003). Deep mining peaked in Western Maryland in the early 1900's with 4.5 million tons of coal being produced annually.

The deep mining that had once almost solely supported George's Creek communities is now the source of environmental problems throughout the area. Because of the mountainous topography of the George's Creek area, many of the deep mines were mined "up dip" from the bottom of the hill, allowing mine water to drain out. The water that now drains out from these mines is Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), which pollutes George's Creek and its tributaries. AMD has left portions of George's Creek and its tributaries fishless. This once flourishing trout fishery now struggles to reestablish.

The creation of the George's Creek Watershed Association (GCWA) began in 1995 as the Mill Run Watershed Association (MRWA). Mill Run, a tributary to George's Creek was inhabited by native brook trout in its headwaters, but became fishless in its lower half due to AMD. Robert Miller, a retired local area school principal, formed the MRWA to solve problems that negatively impact the Mill Run Watershed such as flooding and AMD. After expanding to combat the poor water quality issues effecting George's Creek and its tributaries, the MRWA was renamed George's Creek Watershed Association. The GCWA is a cooperative, inclusive, non-profit, grass roots organization comprised of residents dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people who live in the George's Creek watershed by being effective stewards to our natural environment. Since its inception in 1995, the GCWA has been committed to finding solutions to environmental problems in the watershed and assisting other agencies in their efforts to remediate these problems. The GCWA has been effective in relieving AMD and flooding issues in the George's Creek area. However, there is still much to be done.

Goals and Accomplishments:

The OSM/VISTA has been responsible for developing monthly (now quarterly) newsletters, organizing an annual Arbor Day Tree Planting on reclaimed mine sites, conducting watershed tours with school and church groups, organizing road side clean-ups, representing the GCWA at public meetings and community activities, and assisting with water sampling studies at current and future project sites. The OSM/VISTA has also been responsible for acquiring funds for the GCWA through grant awards and fundraising. The first year OSM/VISTA, Amy McKenzie, applied for two grants for the GCWA. The Ni-Source Grant was awarded to aid GCWA in the Knapp’s Meadow Community Park Project. Amy also applied for a Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) Grant to fund for trash receptacles for towns along George's Creek.

The second year OSM/VISTA, Melissa O'Neal, received a Kodak American Greenways Grant, and a Chesapeake Bay Trust/Fish America Foundation Grant to provide funding for the Knapp’s Meadow Stream Restoration and Park Project. Melissa has helped the GCWA receive a Watershed Cooperative Grant for the Brophytown Acid Mine Drainage and Stream Remediation Project. Melissa has also applied for and received a Watershed Cooperative Grant for the Getson Steel Slag Leached and Limestone Sand Application project.

Kelly Martin, third-year OSM/VISTA, began her work with the GCWA in July 2005. Kelly applied for and received a CBT Mini Grant Award, which helped to fund additional planting in the Westmar High School Rain Garden. Kelly also assisted in obtaining a Special Project Grant through Canaan Valley Institute (CVI), which funded cleaning and redesign of the Pulse Limestone Bed installed to address the major AMD seep in Mill Run. Kelly helped secure a Watershed Cooperative Grant and applied for a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation/CBT Small Watersheds grant for the construction of a success alkalinity producing system (SAPS) in the Railroad Street Mine Drainage Remediation Project.

Cassandra McCrae is the GCWA OSM/VISTA for 2008. Cassie will work to ensure that projects started by the first three OSM/VISTAs are continued and will focus on capacity building of the GCWA for the coming years. Additional projects in development this year include construction of water quality databases, installation of additional rain gardens at area public schools, and ongoing water sampling to aid the design and installation of additional AMD remediation projects.

In February of 2004 the GCWA received The Conservation Award from the United States Department of the Interior. The Conservation Award is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a non-profit organization by the Department of Interior. The GCWA received nomination by Dr. Watten for their involvement in the Mill Run Pulse Limestone Bed Project. Congratulations to the GCWA!!!

• Canaan Valley Institute Grant: Annual dumping of limestone into Mill Run
• Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant: Hire a Watershed Specialist
• Canaan Valley Institute Grant: Hire an employee to load Mill Run Pulse Limestone Bed
• Chesapeake Bay Trust Grant: Rain Garden Project at Westmar High School
• NiSource Award: Knapps Meadow Community Park
• Watershed Cooperative Agreement through Office of Surface Mines (OSM): Mill Run AMD Site
• Watershed Cooperative Agreement through OSM: McDonald Lime Doser
• Watershed Cooperative Agreement through OSM: Fazenbaker SAPS System
• Kodak American Greenways Award: Knappās Meadow Community Park
• Watershed Cooperative Agreement through OSM: Brophytown AMD Remediation Project
• Watershed Cooperative Agreement through OSM: Getson Steel Slag Leach Bed/Limestone Sand Application Project.
• Chesapeake Bay Trust/Fish America Foundation Grant: Knappās Meadow Steam bank Restoration
• Canaan Valley Institute Project Design Grant: Brophytown Project Design
• Canaan Valley Institute Project Design Grant: Mill Run Pulse Limestone Bed Redesign
• Chesapeake Bay Trust Mini Grant: Additional Plants and Signage to Rain Garden Project at Westmar High School
• Watershed Cooperative Agreement through OSM: Railroad Street Mine Drainage Remediation Project SAPS system