The Science of Wingfield Pines

A Duquesne University Study

To serve as the lead land trust conserving and stewarding lands that support the scenic, recreational and environmental well-being of communities in Allegheny County and its environs.

Mission of Allegheny Land Trust

BIODIVERSITY

WATER MANAGEMENT

LANDSCAPE CHARACTER

Prioritize protection of lands that meet these three criteria

EducationFlood Control

Open SpaceRecreation

Benefits of Wingfield Pines

There is only one thing more

rewarding than living in a

beautiful setting…Protecting it!

ALT’s Wingfield Pines Conservation Area, Upper St. Clair

Wingfield PinesFormer strip and deep mine site

Former golf and swim club

80 acres USC & S. Fayette

Borders Chartiers Creek

3 existing ponds

First source of abandon mine drainage in the Chartiers Watershed

Acquired by ALT in 2001

Three fish ponds @ Wingfield Pines

AMD from Wingfield into Chartiers Creek

1500 – 2000 gallons per minute flowing for decades

43 tons of iron oxide deposited into Chartiers Creek every year

Chemistry enables passive treatment technology – no chemicals or pumps needed

Iron oxide sediment can be recovered and used for pigment

Design Criteria Creative and educational

Visually interesting – “no right angles”

Minimize footprint with compact design

High performance

Passive system – no chemicals or pumps

Engaging

1 year + to design

Hedin Environmental

President: Dr. Robert S. Hedin

Finalized site plans, formulate and submit a permit package, perform construction oversight, monitors the system after completion

Design treatment systems that our cost efficient, effective and unique

http://www.hedinenv.com/

Wingfield Pines

AMD treatment system designed on the idea that form follows function. Landscape architect and artists proposed a design

that made the treatment system cost efficient, effective and educational.

Mixing organic pieces with industrial elements.

Wingfield’s Uniqueness

Ponds linked together in a unique way. No 90 degree angles,

soft lines are emphasized.

Treatment system is designed where one can walk through the site and see the ecological changes throughout the AMD system.

Wingfield’s Uniqueness

Wingfield Pines has Educational value Circular ponds with a

central area and a walk way through the wetlands makes group instruction easy

Acts as an open laboratory to various levels and fields of academia

Installation of Water Fountain and Distribution Structure

Note the change in color as the A.M.D. moves through system

2007 2009

Discharge Gut

2007 2009

Discharge into Chartiers Creek

Doing science teaches science!

Since 2007, Duquesne University students have been collecting scientific data at Wingfield Pines in collaboration with the Allegheny Land Trust. The on going process has provided base line data on the

AMD before, during construction and since its completion in the Summer of 2009.

 Changes are not random – Discover Patterns

It is important to grasp the concept that the Wingfield Pines System is not a self-contained

entity, it is a piece of a puzzle incorporated into larger surrounding watersheds that represent only a small portion of the greater hydrologic

cycle:

“You can never step into the same river; for new waters are always flowing on to you.” ~Heraclitus of Ephesus

There are no straight lines:

Source Pond 1 Pond 2 Pond 3 Pond 4 Pond 5 Wetland0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Stagnant

Stagnant

Pond 1D.O. 6 mg/L

Pond 3D.O. 8 mg/L

Pond 2D.O. 7 mg/L

Pond 4D.O. 9 mg/L

Pond 5D.O. 10 mg/L

Pond 6D.O. 11 mg/L

In the lab, one could…

or or or

• Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) and Duquesne University have enjoyed a successful partnership since 2007 around the Wingfield Pines Conservation Area.  Duquesne students, under the leadership and mentoring of Adjunct Professor Ed Schroth, provided much needed water quality and biotic assessments of Chartiers Creek, existing ponds and of the abandon mine drainage treatment system that ALT constructed in 2009.  The invaluable data collected by the students is included in the reports that ALT provides to the PA Department of Environmental Protection and Army Corps of Engineers.  Students benefit by receiving real-life experience and ALT benefits by this volunteer work that ALT would otherwise have to pay for.

Duquesne University Monitoring Ecological Organisms

Chemical Testing

What science does Duquesne measure as water flows through the Wingfield ecosystem;

Dissolved Oxygen Conductivity Temperature pH Alkalinity Turbitiy Biological Diversity www.alleghenylandtrust.org/properties/wingfield/science/index.html

Plankton was collected in March 2010 from the Wingfield A. M. D. ponds using a zooplankton net. 15ml samples were taken back to the laboratories at Duquesne University for identification @ 100X and 400X microscopes. Data was analyzed to determine the ratio values for species richness.

Using Plankton to Illustrate SuccessionMARCH 2010

HYDROSPEREA Water System which Illustrates Succession in Action

At Wingfield Pines we have the opportunity to observe and measure aquatic succession which starts with Abandoned Mine Drainage which then runs through a series of ponds and wetlands.

Each transitional step of Biological succession is then visual and can be documented.

Pond Pond

Source Pond 1 Pond 2 Pond 3 Pond 4 Pond 5 Wetland5.5

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

Average pH

Average pH

pH

Month Month

March

'10

April

'10

June

'10

July

'10

Sept

embe

r '10

Octob

er '1

0

Novem

ber '

10

Febr

uary

'11

March

'11

April

'11

May '1

1

July

'11

Augus

t '11

Sept

embe

r '11

Octob

er '1

1

Decem

ber '

110

102030405060708090Air and Water Temperature Over Time

AirWetland Water

Degre

es in F

ahre

nheit

Year YearPond Wetlands Chartiers Creek

2013

March

'10

June

'10

July

'10

Sept

embe

r '10

Octob

er '1

0

Novem

ber '

10

May '1

1

July

'11

Sept

embe

r '11

Octob

er '1

1

Decem

ber '

110

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Water Temperature vs. Dissolved Oxygen Over Time

Water Temp. Te

mpe

ratu

re (F

)

mg/L

Certain species of macroinvertebrates have differing levels of tolerance to pollution. Concurrent with the changes in

flowing watershed system, Benthic macroinvertebrates are used as indicators of changes associated with a gradient

threshold.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates found within Wingfield

Fish Migration within Wingfield Pines

20062013

Creek Chub

Green Sunfish

White SuckerCommon Carp

Mosquitofish

Sampling Fish at Wingfield Pines (2012)

Wingfield Dedication

Programs that encourage and facilitate outreach into nonscientific communities need to become a standard part of every university and science-based industrial establishment. Environmental decisions that are made in a democracy will always be highly politicized, but it is crucial that citizens have the opportunity to learn what science knows and how that knowledge has been gained.

Now in the 21st Century scientists must vigorously reach out to their communities, informing them not only about their new discoveries, but also about the path they took to get there.

Chara spp., called Muskgrass

Description• Chara look like rooted, aquatic plants, but are actually a form of algae.• Muskgrass is native to Pennsylvania but is invasive and a common nuisance problem in alkaline ponds.• Chara prefers alkaline, hard water ponds.• The ridged branches of Chara are encrusted with calcium carbonate, giving it a gritty feeling.• Chara also has a musty odor when crushed, giving it the common name of “muskgrass.” 

Muskgrass

Muskgrass now completely covers most of Ponds 4 and 5 and a large portion of the wetland

The muskgrass is a very good filter and it’s effective at the removal of Fe solids

However, the muskgrass contributes to preferential flow patterns and likely contributes to poorer treatment in winter months

www.pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/xh0034.pdf

Muskrat and Beaver

Muskrats and beaver have created significant problems since Wingfield’s introduction

Muskrats are the current issue facing Wingfield Pines

Burrowing, damming, and feeding activities have impacted vegetation growth, channel flow, and berm stability

Muskrat burrows can cause erosion of banks and berms around the ponds and wetland areas

Muskrat Borrow

Muskrat Lodge

Beaver Dam

Beaver Baffles

Current Impact of Muskrats

• Herbivory of wetland vegetation creates less filtration of Fe particles

• Lodge formation creates channelization of water flow

• Burrows create tripping hazards throughout park and impact berm stability

Areas in red are damages caused by muskrat activity

Effluent Iron (Total)2009 2013

Effluent Turbidity 2010 2013

Thank You

WingField Pines

Edward F. Schroth schrothe@verizon.net

Adjunct Faculty Duquesne University

Bayer School of Natural Sciences