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Decades of runoff from abandoned coal mines all but killed Western Maryland’s North Branch Potomac. But the fish have returned – along with anglers, boaters, and their wallets.
This turnaround, made possible by an ongoing cleanup managed by MDE, means about $3 million a year in spending in Garrett and Allegany counties, a study found.
Put another way, the economic impact is an almost 10-to-1 return on the annual investment in the cleanup.
A daily dose
The “remarkable improvement” in water quality directly results from actions to undo the effects of drainage from abandoned coal mines, according to the study, by Downstream Strategies, a West Virginia-based environmental consulting firm. Those abandoned mines predated modern environmental laws, and decades of “acid mine drainage” impaired waters in the Potomac River system. The North Branch Potomac was deemed dead.
“Back when I was a kid, you wouldn’t even want to wade in it, not if you wanted to keep your shoes,” one local professional told the study authors.
The answer lay in simple chemistry. Eight “dosers,” installed at a cost of $1 million beginning in 1992, now add alkaline material daily to the North Branch Potomac and its tributaries to counter the acidic runoff. MDE’s Abandoned Mine Land Division manages the remediation program. The federal Office of Surface Mining uses money collected from the coal mining industry to cover the $321,000 yearly cost.
A river reborn
The doser program spearheaded the growth of the North Branch Potomac and nearby waterways as an economic engine.
The river has become known as a high-quality fishery, with about 20 miles stocked and managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. About $90,000 a year is used for trout stocking, fisheries, surveys and angler access. The trout stocking program is paid for though the sale of freshwater fishing licenses, trout stamps and anglers’ and boaters’ tax dollars.
Naturally producing trout and smallmouth bass populations have returned to the river. The Downstream Strategies study points out that all current angling outfitters on the river launched their businesses after acid mine drainage remediation began.
And the area’s resurgence goes beyond fishing. High cliffs and interesting rock outcroppings – not to mention abundant rapids – now draw pleasure boaters, white-water thrill-seekers, and anyone looking for a memorable outdoors experience.
The North Branch Potomac from Gormania to Kitzmiller boasts rapids up to Class IV, and has been described as one of the best stretches of intermediate water in the region. Each spring, whitewater canoeists gather for an annual armada. On some spring weekends boaters also enjoy scheduled whitewater releases from the Jennings Randolph Lake to the Barnum section of the North Branch Potomac.
All this complements other attractions that establish Western Maryland as a tourism destination. The nearby Savage River has even hosted trials for the U.S. Olympic whitewater canoe and kayak team.
The payoff
The cleanup of the North Branch Potomac generates about $3 million a year in spending on supplies, guides, accommodations, food and other items in Garrett and Allegany Counties, the Downstream Strategies study found. Roughly 40 full-time-equivalent jobs are tied to this spending, along with $266,000 in state and local taxes.
There’s more. A survey shows that anglers and boaters would be willing to spend an additional $4.1 million a year, presumably because of the unique recreational experiences that the North Branch Potomac offers.
Said one angler: “This is a great fishery, and it has come so far. … I would pay a daily access fee, or a daily parking fee in designated lots, or even a yearly parking pass that allows parking near the river.”
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