Ed Schroth, Duquesne University Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, “The Science of Wingfield Pines” The ecological and cultural transformation of Wingfield Pines Conservation Area (WPCA) is a watershed achievement in land and AMD water reclamation efforts in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. “The Science of Wingfield Pines” is a story of the science research conducted, data collected and analyzed. The graphs and conclusions are good science which illustrate the many synergistic concepts discussed in our aquatic textbooks.

1. The Science of Wingfield Pines
A Duquesne University Study

2. To serve as the lead land
trust conserving and
stewarding lands that
support the scenic,
recreational and
environmental well-being of
communities in Allegheny
County and its environs.
Mission of Allegheny Land
Trust

3. BIODIVERSITY
WATER
MANAGEMENT
LANDSCAPE
CHARACTER
Prioritize protection
of lands that meet
these three criteria

4. Education
Flood Control
Open Space
Recreation
Benefits of Wingfield Pines

5. thing more rewarding
than living in a
beautiful
setting…Protecting it!
ALT’s Wingfield Pines Conservation Area,
Upper St. Clair

6. Wingfield Pines
 Former strip and deep mine site
 Former golf and swim club
 80 acres USC & S. Fayette
 Borders Chartiers Creek
 3 existing ponds
 First source of abandon mine drainage in the
Chartiers Watershed
 Acquired by ALT in 2001

7. Three fish ponds @ Wingfield
Pines

8. AMD from Wingfield into Chartiers
Creek
 1500 – 2000 gallons per minute
flowing for decades
 43 tons of iron oxide deposited
into Chartiers Creek every year
 Chemistry enables passive
treatment technology – no
chemicals or pumps needed
 Iron oxide sediment can be
recovered and used for pigment

9. Design Criteria
 Creative and educational
 Visually interesting – “no
right angles”
 Minimize footprint with
compact design
 High performance
 Passive system – no
chemicals or pumps
 Engaging
 1 year + to design

10. Hedin Environmental
 President: Dr. Robert S. Hedin
 Finalized site plans, formulate and submit a permit
package, perform construction oversight, monitors the
system after completion
 Design treatment systems that our cost efficient,
effective and unique
http://www.hedinenv.com/

11. Wingfield Pines
 AMD treatment system designed on the idea that form
follows function.
 Landscape architect and artists proposed a design that
made the treatment system cost efficient, effective and
educational.
 Mixing organic pieces with industrial elements.

12. Wingfield’s Uniqueness
 Ponds linked together in a
unique way.
 No 90 degree angles, soft
lines are emphasized.
 Treatment system is
designed where one can
walk through the site and
see the ecological changes
throughout the AMD
system.

13. Wingfield’s Uniqueness
 Wingfield Pines has
Educational value
 Circular ponds with a
central area and a walk
way through the wetlands
makes group instruction
easy
 Acts as an open laboratory
to various levels and fields
of academia

14. Installation of Water Fountain
and Distribution Structure

15. Note the change in color as the
A.M.D. moves through system

16. 2007 2009
Discharge Gut

17. 2007 2009
Discharge into Chartiers Creek

18. Doing science teaches science!
Since 2007, Duquesne University students have been collecting scientific data at
Wingfield Pines in collaboration with the Allegheny Land Trust. The on going
process has provided base line data on the AMD before, during construction
and since its completion in the Summer of 2009.
Changes are not random – Discover Patterns

19. It is important to grasp the concept that the Wingfield Pines
System is not a self-contained entity, it is a piece of a
puzzle incorporated into larger surrounding watersheds
that represent only a small portion of the greater
hydrologic cycle:
“You can never step into the same river; for new waters are always
flowing on to you.”
~Heraclitus of Ephesus

20. There are no straight lines:
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Source Pond 1 Pond 2 Pond 3 Pond 4 Pond 5 Wetland
Stagnant
Stagnant

22. Pond 1
D.O. 6 mg/L
Pond 3
D.O. 8 mg/L
Pond 2
D.O. 7 mg/L
Pond 4
D.O. 9 mg/L
Pond 5
D.O. 10 mg/L
Pond 6
D.O. 11 mg/L
In the lab, one could…

23. or or or

24. •Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) and Duquesne University have enjoyed a successful
partnership since 2007 around the Wingfield Pines Conservation Area. Duquesne
students, under the leadership and mentoring of Adjunct Professor Ed
Schroth, provided much needed water quality and biotic assessments of Chartiers
Creek, existing ponds and of the abandon mine drainage treatment system that ALT
constructed in 2009. The invaluable data collected by the students is included in the
reports that ALT provides to the PA Department of Environmental Protection and Army
Corps of Engineers. Students benefit by receiving real-life experience and ALT
benefits by this volunteer work that ALT would otherwise have to pay for.
Duquesne University Monitoring Ecological
Organisms

25. Chemical Testing
What science does Duquesne measure as water flows through the Wingfield
ecosystem;
 Dissolved Oxygen
 Conductivity
 Temperature
 pH
 Alkalinity
 Turbitiy
 Biological Diversity
 www.alleghenylandtrust.org/properties/wingfield/science/index.html

26. Plankton was collected in March 2010 from the Wingfield A. M. D.
ponds using a zooplankton net. 15ml samples were taken back to
the laboratories at Duquesne University for identification @ 100X
and 400X microscopes. Data was analyzed to determine the ratio
values for species richness.
Using Plankton to Illustrate Succession
MARCH 2010

28. HYDROSPERE
A Water System which Illustrates Succession in Action
At Wingfield Pines we have the opportunity to observe and measure
aquatic succession which starts with Abandoned Mine Drainage which
then runs through a series of ponds and wetlands.
Each transitional step of Biological succession is then visual and can
be documented.
Pond  Pond
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
Source Pond 1 Pond 2 Pond 3 Pond 4 Pond 5 Wetland
pH
Average pH
Average pH

29. Month  Month
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
DegreesinFahrenheit
Air and Water Temperature Over Time
Air
Wetland Water

30. Year  Year
Pond  Wetlands  Chartiers Creek
2013

31. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
mg/L
Temperature(F)
Water Temperature vs. Dissolved Oxygen Over Time
Water
Temp.

32. Certain species of macroinvertebrates have differing levels of
tolerance to pollution. Concurrent with the changes in flowing
watershed system, Benthic macroinvertebrates are used as
indicators of changes associated with a gradient threshold.

33. Aquatic macroinvertebrates found within Wingfield

34. Fish Migration within Wingfield Pines
20062013
Creek Chub Green Sunfish
White Sucker
Common Carp
Mosquitofish

35. Sampling Fish at Wingfield Pines (2012)

36. Wingfield Dedication
 Programs that encourage and facilitate outreach into nonscientific communities need to
become a standard part of every university and science-based industrial establishment.
Environmental decisions that are made in a democracy will always be highly politicized,
but it is crucial that citizens have the opportunity to learn what science knows and how
that knowledge has been gained.
 Now in the 21st Century scientists must vigorously reach out to their communities,
informing them not only about their new discoveries, but also about the path they took
to get there.

38. Chara spp., called Muskgrass
Description
• Chara look like rooted, aquatic plants, but are actually a form of algae.
• Muskgrass is native to Pennsylvania but is invasive and a common
nuisance problem in alkaline ponds.
• Chara prefers alkaline, hard water ponds.
• The ridged branches of Chara are encrusted with calcium
carbonate, giving it a gritty feeling.
• Chara also has a musty odor when crushed, giving it the common name
of “muskgrass.”

39. Muskgrass
 Muskgrass now completely
covers most of Ponds 4 and 5
and a large portion of the
wetland
 The muskgrass is a very good
filter and it’s effective at
the removal of Fe solids
 However, the muskgrass
contributes to preferential
flow patterns and likely
contributes to poorer
treatment in winter months
 www.pubs.cas.psu.edu/freep
ubs/pdfs/xh0034.pdf

40. Muskrat and Beaver
 Muskrats and beaver have
created significant
problems since Wingfield’s
introduction
 Muskrats are the current
issue facing Wingfield Pines
 Burrowing, damming, and
feeding activities have
impacted vegetation
growth, channel flow, and
berm stability
Muskrat burrows can cause erosion of
banks and berms around the ponds
and wetland areas

41. Muskrat Borrow
Muskrat Lodge
Beaver Dam
Beaver Baffles

42. Current Impact of Muskrats
• Herbivory of wetland
vegetation creates less
filtration of Fe particles
• Lodge formation creates
channelization of water
flow
• Burrows create tripping
hazards throughout park
and impact berm stability
Areas in red are damages caused by
muskrat activity

43. Effluent Iron (Total)
2009 2013

44. Effluent Turbidity
2010 2013

45. Thank You
WingField Pines
Edward F. Schroth
schrothe@verizon.net
Adjunct Faculty
Duquesne University
Bayer School of Natural Sciences