Location: Wise County, VA

Date: 2011-08-25 07:45:00

Conductivity: 2583 μS/cm

pH: 6.7

Total Dissolved Solids: 1709.5 mg/L

Temperature: 75.4°F

This site is notable for its conductivity value of 2583 μS/cm – the highest value tested as of December 2011. The normal conductivity of an Appalachian stream is below 500 μS/cm. The dissolved solids are calculated based on the conductivity and temperature, so this value is also very high. The presence of acid mine drainage, identifiable by its bright orange color, was also observed at this site. Several other discharge sites from this mine also had high conductivity, indicating a systemic water quality problem at this mine.