The Allegheny and Monongahela rivers form the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, PA. The Allegheny River is approximately 325 miles long has a drainage area of 11,600 square miles. Duquense University’s Center for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) is responsible for the monthly monitoring and reporting of 14 sites in the Southern Allegheny River and its major tributaries. Extensive sampling has also been conducted in the Northern Allegheny Basin as an extension of 3RQ by RedHorse Environmental.
3RQ Targeted Studies in the Allegheny River Watershed
Northern Allegheny Sampling Extension
Northern Allegheny sites were established in 2013 to extend 3RQ's geographic reach and create an extensive regional baseline dataset. Between 2013 and 2018, ninety-six samples were collected on the upper Allegheny River and its tributaries.
Learn More: View StoryMap
Pithole Creek
The Pithole Creek Watershed, located in Venango and Forest counties of Pennsylvania, has a history of conventional oil production that dates back to 1865. As of 2018, the watershed contained 950 active conventional wells and many townships had used produced water for dust control on its dirt and gravel roads. 3RQ worked to shed light onto the impacts of this oil production on stream integrity.
Learn More: View StoryMap, View Fact Sheet, View Watershed Assessment Report & Coldwater Conservation Plan
Pine Creek
Due to its trends of elevated chloride levels, Pine Creek has been chosen for a targeted study looking closer at chloride and other ion levels. By incorporating USGS gage data, the effect of rainfall was also studied in relation to chloride concentrations.
Learn More: View StoryMap, View Fact Sheet
Contacts
Northern Allegheny
Bruce Dickson
RedHorse Environmental, LLC (PA)
(814) 806-6073
bdickson@redhorseenvironmental.com
Southern Allegheny
Brady Porter
Duquesne University
(412) 396-5786
porterb@duq.edu
John Stolz
Duquesne University
(412) 396-4367
stolz@duq.edu