Post on 18-Jan-2016
description
Water Monitoring Site Location in Greene County, PA & Cattaraugus County, NY
Introduction The Marcellus Shale gas play is the largest natural gas reserve in the United States. Potential environmental impacts resulting from natural gas drilling have caused concern among U.S. citizens. Some of these people have developed grassroots organizations with the intention to monitor those environmental impacts.
The Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Play
Volunteer Water Monitoring Volunteer water monitoring groups have begun to mobilize in response to the natural gas drilling boom. Due to limited resources, though, monitoring groups must be strategic when determining the number and location of their monitoring sites. Generally, they choose several ‘baseline’ sites, which act as control sites. They additionally determine which locations are ideal to specifically monitor the effects of natural gas drilling.
General Considerations When Choosing Monitoring Sites
• Gas well proximity to streams• PADEP Chapter 93 Stream Designations
• High quality• Exceptional value• Protected
• Clustering of gas wells• Accessibility to monitoring site• Distribution of monitoring sites throughout region
Greene County, Pennsylvania
Cattaraugus County, New York
MethodsStreams were selected for monitoring potential based on the following criteria:• Within 500 feet of a gas well • Within 500 feet of a cluster of gas wells
• “Cluster” was defined as a group of wells within 1.25 miles of each other
´0 5 10 15 202.5Miles
0 5 10 15 202.5Miles
Sources: ESRI, PASDA, NY GIS Clearinghouse
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98
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Sou
the
rn T
ier
417
242
Asp
24
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219
39 4
353
446
Nys
39
280
32
322
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lley
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ion
Main
Park
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Erie
241
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ford Ho
llow
State
243
Broad
Pine
Rock City
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Portville Ceres
Wildwood
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tral
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tvill
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Washington
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Asp
Asp
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Ma
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State
242
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Asp
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Main
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98
62
Sou
the
rn T
ier
417
242
Asp
24
0
219
39 4
353
446
Nys
39
280
32
322
Va
lley
Un
ion
Main
Park
Perimeter
Erie
241
Ash
ford Ho
llow
State
243
Broad
Pine
Rock City
Olean Portville
Co
ne
wa
ng
o
Portville Ceres
Wildwood
Cen
tral
Jamestown
Por
tvill
e E
ldre
d
Cen
ter
Ole
an
Brooklyn
305
Fair Oak
Washington
Route
Scenic
Hall
Bank
Perim
eter
Fa
ir P
lai n
s
242
62
242
Main
Ma
in
Main
16
16
Ma
in
417
Mai
n
241
98
16
Main
State
Mai
n
219
353
16
35
3
Conewango
Asp
Asp
21
9
219
280
417
Ma
in
39
State
242
16
16
39
Ma
in
Asp
Asp
280
Asp
394
Main
62
Co
ne
wa
ng
o
The Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) has developed a protocol and corresponding workshop to teach watershed groups to effectively monitor their streams for potential impacts from natural gas drilling. During ALLARM’s workshop, monitors are given maps displaying a watershed and gas well permit locations and are asked to determine where they would place their monitoring sites based on that information. This exercise is intended to walk them through the thought process of choosing monitoring site locations within their own watershed
Natural Gas Well Pad Sites Potential Monitoring Locations
Katie Tomsho ENST 218
ALLARM’s Role
From this information, watershed organization can subsequently choose sites based on their even distribution throughout the county as well as their accessibility .
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High
River
77
0 5 10 15 202.5Miles
Suggested streams to monitor
Stream within 500 ft of well
! Marcellus Shale Wells
Highways
Cold Water Fishery
High Quality
Trout Stocking
Warm Water Fishery
Well proximity: 1.25 mile cluster
Greene
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Cru
cible
Cey
lon
High
River
77
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