Summary
Watershed restoration is a long-term commitment. Once treatment systems are installed, the work shifts to monitoring, stewardship, and knowledge-sharing. This page covers post-implementation monitoring, how to sustain organizational momentum, how to share what you’ve learned, and a practical checklist covering the full arc of a watershed AMD clean-up project.
Post-Implementation Monitoring #
Once clean-up work begins, monitor both installed treatment systems and the water quality they are designed to improve. Develop post-clean-up monitoring plans for installations and affected water bodies — this ensures you can quickly identify treatment system problems and specifically measure the success of your efforts. Establish a volunteer monitoring program as a permanent part of environmental oversight to create long-term watershed interest and early detection of future problems.
Stewardship begins with monitoring. Analyzing water quality provides information on how waterways are affected by land uses upstream and how well treatment systems are performing. A sustained monitoring program is the focal point for long-term partnership activity.
Share Your Experience #
As your partnership gains experience, offer support to newer groups. Your documented experience — what worked, what failed, what cost what — is a resource for the whole AML network. Report your results to watershed association meetings, technical meetings, state and federal water quality agencies, and where appropriate to scientific literature. Linking your group with statewide partnerships builds strong regional networks.
Checklist: Full Project Arc #
- Develop a watershed partnership with all affected parties. Establish long-term goals, identify and assess problems, set priorities, correct deficiencies, monitor results.
- Research existing data on water quality, mining activity, and other contamination sources.
- Identify water quality standards and develop a monitoring program.
- Conduct field surveys and water testing to determine problem parameters at key watershed points.
- Identify stream segments with the most significant problem levels.
- Conduct comprehensive site-specific follow-up surveys at the most significant sites.
- Assess relative contributions of problem sites to overall watershed impairment.
- Prioritize problem sites by impact on water quality.
- Assess remediation options for each priority site.
- Analyze costs and identify possible funding sources for each proposed project.
- Develop funding proposals for selected projects.
- Secure funding, engage contractors, and implement projects.
- Assess water quality impacts through comprehensive monitoring before and after installation.
- Conduct public outreach and education throughout the entire project period.
Related Pages #
- Organize a Watershed Partnership
- Funding Sources
- Restoration Planning (Watershed Tools)
- Developing a Monitoring Plan (Watershed Tools)
- O&M of Passive Treatment Systems (AML Reclamation)
Source and Last Reviewed
Source: EPA Region 3, A Citizen’s Guide to Address Contaminated Coal Mine Drainage, EPA-903-K-97-003.
Last reviewed: 2026-03
Tags: o-and-m, planning, practitioner, program-manager, pa
