Mine Acid Question

I have a small spring that comes out of the hill pretty clean, but about two feet down stream is a rather orange area that makes all the water pretty orange. I tested the pH and it was 6.5 at the source but then 4.2 after the orange area. The strange thing is there is an old railroad grade from the 1800's that the spring passes though. The railroad has been gone for many years and the grade is made up off old cinders and slag of some sort. This material has a pH of 8.7 and when the stream passes this grade, the pH is 6.9.
My Q is this, even though the pH seems ok, it this water still
poluted from the mine acid and could this water be used to water livestock. If anyone have any answers, I'm all ears.
thnx Shawn

Shwan,

Great web page! Reminds me of my place.

That pH of 4.2 is pretty acidic.
Does your local university do free water testing for farms?
If so that is the best way to tell. I wonder about heavy metal residue left over from mining that might end up in the water?

Does the water smell? Around here we have a lot of sulphar and I have dug up huge yellow/ orange rocks that have very high sulphar content. But if thats it then the water would likely have a sulphar smell to it.

Fred

Shawn:

I agree, talk to folks at university or your local verion of soil and conservation. Around here (sw Indiana), the culprit is open pit mining of coal and the residual spoil banks left from the late 1800s up until reclamation laws went into effect.

A number of the pits left from the mining days have what is called 'yellow or orange bottom' due to acid leachate from the spoil banks left from mining. As you mentioned old railroad, coal refuse may also be a possible culprit.

Paul

Here is PA, each county does water testing, its about $30
per sample. But the water doesn't smell. The spring itself
comes from near a vein of coal that hasn't been mined.
Actually there's huge chunks of coal just lying around, and I
use it to burn (perfect for keeping bugs away).
anyway, thanks for the info....Shawn

If in fact you're getting acidity from the coal, it would not necessarily give off any odor.