17607_PMAA_Authority_June_2024

municipalauthorities.org | 43 Environmental Protection (DEP), Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), Saint Francis University (SFU), and the Blair County Conservation District (BCCD). Reclamation Projects Moving Forward In August of 2020, the AWA purchased an additional 2,500 acres of watershed property located above the World-Famous Horseshoe Curve. The acquisition of this property was purchased using an awarded DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grant through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) with a 50/50 match ($1 for $1). The purchase aligns with the authority mission because this area drains into three of their drinking water reservoirs. This property possesses a great deal of historical degradation challenges. Kittanning Run flows orange which is a result from all of the historical mining and timbering activities that took place on this property. There are also several Abandoned Mine Land (AML) features that need to be reclaimed in an effort to restore the watershed. During the purchase of the property, the DEP was already in the process of reclaiming one highwall that was referred to locally as “Big Murph.” It was a highly active site with off-road vehicles of all types. This caused excessive erosion and sedimentation in the stream below as well as lending to mass amount of litter and dumping. Once the DEP finished the reclamation of the highwall and the AWA officially purchased the property, the destructive activity on the watershed came to a halt. Moving forward, there are two more high priority AML features that need to be reclaimed. The Fischer Highwall (90-foot) and the Blue Hole (suspended water that is highly impacted from mining) are the next on the list to be remediated. The AWA intends to complete those projects with the help of the SRBC and the DEP. Previously mentioned, a highwall site was reclaimed and transformed into a hillside slope with no more access for offroad vehicles to create erosion. After that project was complete, Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) approached the Altoona Water Authority to see if they had interest in reforesting the newly reclaimed site (52 acres). Since the site was so steep, the trees would aid in holding the soil to the hillside and reducing sedimentation in the stream below. With the help of partners such as, PEC, Green Forests Work (GFW) and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), AWA was able to reforest an additional 132.5 acres of mine land that was previously reclaimed to grassland by the former owners. In total, 184.5 acres of mine land has been reforested. Of the 184.5 acres, the AWA was able to spread their own Class B Biosolids on 88 acres in order to provide the trees with extra nutrients to help their establishment in the area. By utilizing the biosolids, the authority avoided sending them to a landfill for disposal where their beneficial properties would have gone to waste instead being a positive addition to the reforestation projects. Moving forward with future land reclamation projects, the authority plans to continue their relationship with PEC and GFW to plant trees wherever reforestation makes sense in the watersheds. Partnerships Formed Partnering with PEC opened many doors for the Altoona Water Authority, not only for environmental reasons, but for the recreational opportunities as well. The AWA and partners are currently in the process of preparing a master plan for approximately 3500 acres of property to create a 20-mile mountain biking and hiking trail system. The plan will lend to recreation, education, beautiful scenery, and so much more. The master plan is currently in the preliminary developmental stages but continues to move forward as our partners work diligently to acquire the funding and research to make this trail as well as other trails come into reality. The Altoona Water Authority is beyond grateful for the relationships that they have gained with so many partners over many years of operations. The amount of interest and support that is shown to the authority for their efforts is overwhelming and really something special. From source water to wastewater effluents, the AWA continues to move forward and excel in environmental excellence, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction. S By protecting the watersheds, it ensures that the authority is able to operate and provide clean drinking water to their customers, while striving to maintain reasonable rates. Vertical flow pond spaghetti hole Reclaimed abandoned mine land with wind turbine