Recovery from Acid Pollution in Shallow
Strip-Mine Lakes in Missouri
ROBERT S. CAMPBELL, Professor of Zoology
OWEN T. LIND, Research Assistant,
WILLIAM T. GEILING, Research Assistant,
GEORGE L. HARP, Research Assistant
Department of Zoology
University of Missouri
Columbia,   Missouri
Lakes form in pits left when coal is mined by stripping. These lakes are
scattered over some 65, 000 acres of land which have been strip mined for coal in
Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri (1). Initially, the water in
many of these lakes is acid due to the presence of sulfuric acid. With aging the
pH rises and the water may pass through a series of distinctive colors -- red, blue-
green, and grey -- each of which is indicative of a specific stage in recovery
from acid pollution.   Ultimately the waters become alkaline and will support fish.
The purpose of this paper is 1) to describe the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of four strip-mine lakes in central Missouri; and 2) to characterize
recovery from acid pollution in ecological terms.
Three of these lakes have been under observation since 1940; the initial
studies were made by Crawford (2) and by Heaton (3). This paper, however, is
based largely on data collected between January 1962 and March 1964; it is a report on research in progress.
THE STUDY AREA
The study area is in Calloway County, 20 miles east of Columbia, Missouri.
Here the coal-bearing Bevier formation ranges from 30 to 40 ins. in thickness
with an overburden of shale, sandstone, and drift (4). Coal of this formation is a
highly volatile bituminous type with a sulfur content of three to five per cent. It
may contain small concentrations of pyrite and marcasite.
The lakes herein described are identified as A_, A3, B, and D. Al, which
is just east of Millersburg, was formed by mining in 1935. It is some five miles
from the other lakes. Observations were begun on Ai in July 1963. Lakes A3, B,
and D are near Carrington and were formed by strip mining in 1919-1921. The
lakes are arranged in a linear pattern, one being separated from the next by not
more than 50 ft. It is to be emphasized that the lakes have separate watersheds
which vary greatly in size (Table I).
Lakes A3, B, and D were studied in 1940-41 (2) and again in 1949-50 (3).
The present study started in January 1962. Routine physical, chemical, and biological measurements were made at monthly intervals; more complete seasonal
water analyses were made by the University Spectrographic Laboratory. Standard
methods (5) were employed wherever possible. Other procedures included flame
photometry and spectroscopic methods for certain heavy metals.
LAKE Ai
This 0.3-acre lake receives drainage from waste-coal piles (0.3-acres) and
from spoil banks.    The area ofthe watershed is 1.5 acres.   Bottom materials are
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