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27-578: Coal Brook begins on a mountain in Fell Township. It flows south-southeast for several tenths of a mile before turning east for several hundred feet. The stream then turns south for approximately a mile before entering Carbondale. At this point, it turns southeast. A few tenths of a mile further downstream, it reaches its confluence with the Lackawanna River. Coal Book joins the Lackawanna River 29.76 miles (47.89 km) upriver of its mouth. Coal Brook

54-566: A domesticated organism) is known as an introduced species within the regions where it was anthropogenically introduced. If an introduced species causes substantial ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage, it may be regarded more specifically as an invasive species . The notion of nativity is often a blurred concept, as it is a function of both time and political boundaries. Over long periods of time, local conditions and migratory patterns are constantly changing as tectonic plates move, join, and split. Natural climate change (which

81-464: A pipe . Some reaches of Coal Brook have been entirely destroyed either by historic mining or by post-mining development. Additionally, substantial deposits of culm and silts from mining operations line occur in the stream's vicinity. The stream does not run through drift , but rather through solid rock. Its course is largely determined by the rocks' structure. The watershed of Coal Brook has an area of 1.93 square miles (5.0 km). The mouth of

108-407: A continued mutualistic interaction with a certain animal pollinator , and the pollinating animal may also be dependent on that plant species for a food source. Many species have adapted to very limited, unusual, or harsh conditions, such as cold climates or frequent wildfires . Others can live in diverse areas or adapt well to different surroundings. The diversity of species across many parts of

135-404: A glaze for pottery . Native species In biogeography , a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history . The term is equivalent to the concept of indigenous or autochthonous species. A wild organism (as opposed to

162-589: A high water temperature and an altered pH , though the characteristics of abandoned mine drainage depend heavily on the area's geochemistry . Other signs of abandoned mine drainage include high sulfate levels and siltation . Acid mine drainage has a pH of less than 7, while alkaline mine drainage has a pH of greater than 7. The concentrations of metals in abandoned mine drainage can range from several to several thousand parts per million . In Pennsylvania's Coal Region , it has an iron concentration of less than 100 milligrams per liter (0.100 oz/cu ft) and

189-422: A native ecological system disturbed by economic development or other events, they may be historically inaccurate, incomplete, or pay little or no attention to ecotype accuracy or type conversions. They may fail to restore the original ecological system by overlooking the basics of remediation. Attention paid to the historical distribution of native species is a crucial first step to ensure the ecological integrity of

216-741: A pH of close to 7. Abandoned mine drainage can cause affected streams to take on a bright orange color. Abandoned mine drainage affects streams worldwide. A 2017 United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report documented "widespread destruction" from mining waste that is released into the environment as a result of dam failures . Mine drainage is prevalent in the United States state of Pennsylvania , as well as several other states that have historically had large mining industries. In Pennsylvania , nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 km) of streams have been affected by abandoned mine drainage, and more than 7,500 miles (12,100 km) have been affected in

243-414: A particular place. A native species may occur in areas other than the one under consideration. The terms endemic and native also do not imply that an organism necessarily first originated or evolved where it is currently found. Native species form communities and biological interactions with other specific flora, fauna, fungi, and other organisms. For example, some plant species can only reproduce with

270-476: Is acidic . The most common form of abandoned mine drainage is acid mine drainage , which is highly acidic water coming from mines. Abandoned mine drainage can become acidic when it is exposed to oxygen and sulfur -containing minerals such as pyrite . Another form of abandoned mine drainage is alkaline mine drainage . This typically occurs in the presence of minerals such as calcite , limestone , or dolomite . The third form of abandoned mine drainage

297-511: Is metal mine drainage , which occurs when large amounts of metals such as lead contaminate mine water. The precise chemistry of abandoned mine drainage discharges typically varies. Abandoned mine drainage typically originates in surface mines , deep mines , and "gob piles". Abandoned mine drainage typically has high concentrations of metals and total dissolved solids . Iron is the most common metal in abandoned mine drainage, but aluminium and manganese occur as well. It may also have

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324-493: Is designated as an impaired stream. The causes of the impairment are flow alterations and metals. The likely source of the impairment is abandoned mine drainage . Coal Brook experiences total flow loss. In the 1990s, the stream has "very low flow". However, a comprehensive restoration project could restore flow and a natural channel to Coal Brook. In October 2000, stream flow disappeared in a reach upstream of Dundaff Road. Stormwater pipes from Carbondale drain into Coal Brook in

351-425: Is much slower than human-caused climate change ) changes sea level, ice cover, temperature, and rainfall, driving direct changes in habitability and indirect changes through the presence of predators, competitors, food sources, and even oxygen levels . Species do naturally appear, reproduce, and endure, or become extinct, and their distribution is rarely static or confined to a particular geographic location. Moreover,

378-666: Is on the Watershed Restoration Priority List of the Lackawanna River Corridor Association. The drainage basin of Coal Brook is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. As of the early 1990s, no macroinvertebrates inhabit the stream. At the headwaters of Coal Brook, the stream has a substantial riparian buffer consisting of native trees and understory . However, some logging has occurred in its vicinity. Further downstream, successional and invasive vegetation occurs along

405-612: The Appalachian Mountains , and more than 10,000 miles (16,000 km) are affected in Pennsylvania and West Virginia . In one watershed affected by abandoned mine drainage, the value of homes within 200 feet (61 m) of an affected stream decreased by $ 2500 per 1 acre (0.40 ha), as of 2009. Algae sometimes coat streams that are affected by abandoned mine drainage, although aquatic plants have difficulty surviving in such streams. The gills of fish are also harmed by

432-562: The Society for Ecological Restoration , native plant societies, Wild Ones , and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center encourage the use of native plants. The identification of local remnant natural areas provides a basis for this work. Many books have been written on the subject of planting native plants in home gardens. The use of cultivars derived from native species is a widely disputed practice among native plant advocates. When ecological restoration projects are undertaken to restore

459-416: The mouth of Coal Brook is 1,083 feet (330 m) above sea level . The elevation of the stream's source is between 1,700 and 1,720 feet (520 and 520 m) above sea level. Coal Brook flows through coal mining lands. Only the uppermost 0.4 miles (0.64 km) of its length have avoided being impacted; they are above the coal measures . From Dundaff Road to a point 1.3 miles (2.1 km) downstream,

486-430: The stream channel . 41°35′06″N 75°29′52″W  /  41.58500°N 75.49778°W  / 41.58500; -75.49778 Abandoned mine drainage Abandoned mine drainage (also known as AMD ) is a form of water pollution involving water that has been polluted by contact with mines , typically coal mines . Although it is sometimes called " acid mine drainage ", not all abandoned mine drainage

513-491: The distinction between native and non-native as being tied to a local occurrence during historical times has been criticised as lacking perspective, and a case was made for more graded categorisations such as that of prehistoric natives , which occurred in a region during prehistory but have since suffered local extinction there due to human involvement. A native species in a location is not necessarily also endemic to that location. Endemic species are exclusively found in

540-466: The environment while reducing the natural gas industry's need to use water from streams and rivers. However, opponents have said that it would "make a dirty process even dirtier". This has already been done with streams such as an unnamed tributary to Johnson Creek . Abandoned mine drainage solids have shown potential in capturing mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. The iron oxide generated by treating abandoned mine drainage can be used as

567-759: The metals in abandoned mine drainage. The eggs of macroinvertebrates and fish are also smothered by the precipitate. Coldwater fish such as trout are especially harmed by abandoned mine drainage. Abandoned mine drainage also affects the plants and animals in the area surrounding the mine. Mine drainage pollution has been found in sheep that fed near abandoned mines. There are several methods by which abandoned mine drainage can be remedied: passive treatment , active treatment , and land reclamation. Trompes may also be useful in treating abandoned mine drainage. The natural gas industry has suggested using abandoned mine drainage water in hydraulic fracturing . Proponents of this idea say that it would remove toxic water from

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594-698: The project. For example, to prevent erosion of the recontoured sand dunes at the western edge of the Los Angeles International Airport in 1975, landscapers stabilized the backdunes with a "natural" seed mix (Mattoni 1989a). Unfortunately, the seed mix was representative of coastal sage scrub , an exogenous plant community, instead of the native dune scrub community. As a result, the El Segundo blue butterfly (Euphilotes battoides allyni) became an endangered species. The El Segundo blue butterfly population, which had once extended over 3200 acres along

621-514: The reach where it flows through an underground culvert. Leaking sewer pipes also drain into the stream in this reach. In the early 1900s, the mouth of the stream was free of culm. However, its flow was colored white by sulfur -contaminated water from the Coal Brook Colliery. A stream of mine water entered the stream at one point and culm banks in its vicinity were subject to wash. Nevertheless, its upper reaches were clear. The elevation near

648-466: The stream flows through areas of culm, waste rock, and strip pits from the old Coal Brook Colliery. Small bogs , ponds , and wetlands are in the stream's watershed. Its headwaters are in mountain springs . Upon reaching the Carbondale Nursing Home, Coal Brook enters an underground culvert . Its course is not exactly known in this reach. However, it discharges into the Lackawanna River via

675-671: The stream is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Waymart. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Carbondale. Coal Brook is a first-order stream. Dundaff Road is slightly to the east of its headwaters. Coal Brook was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1172047. The Coal Brook Colliery historically operated in

702-718: The watershed of Coal Brook. It was owned by the Delaware and Hudson Coal Company . In a reach of Coal Brook upstream of Dundaff Road, the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation once completed a reclamation project, filling stripping pits and regrading waste rock. In the early 2000s, the Lackawanna River Watershed Conservation Plan also recommended that Carbondale Township and Carbondale include protection of Coal Brook in their comprehensive plans, as well as their ordinances for land use, zoning, and subdivision. The stream

729-1040: The world exists only because bioregions are separated by barriers, particularly large rivers , seas , oceans , mountains , and deserts . Humans can introduce species that have never met in their evolutionary history, on varying time scales ranging from days to decades (Long, 1981; Vermeij, 1991). Humans are moving species across the globe at an unprecedented rate. Those working to address invasive species view this as an increased risk to native species. As humans introduce species to new locations for cultivation, or transport them by accident, some of them may become invasive species, damaging native communities. Invasive species can have profound effects on ecosystems by changing ecosystem structure, function, species abundance , and community composition. Besides ecological damage, these species can also damage agriculture, infrastructure, and cultural assets. Government agencies and environmental groups are directing increasing resources to addressing these species. Native plant organizations such as

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