Good Spring Creek once flowed over an anthracite coal strip mine known as Devil’s Hole Mine. The mine was long ago decommissioned and much effort has been made by various agencies to reclaim the mine that is now publicly owned by Frailey Township in Pennsylvania. Our project was for PA DEP Mitigation and we were brought in as the 9th inning “closer” to coin a baseball phrase. The floodplain had been graded, full crossing log vanes had been installed to prevent the stream from head-cutting, a pond at top had been constructed to better focus flows into the four anastomose channels created in 2024.
Our work in summer of 2025 was to further ensure there were a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 7 channels flowing roughly evenly across the entirety of the floodplain while preventing scour in any channel or against either floodplain banks, allowing the stream to deposit fine sediment and native seed throughout. This was accomplished using tree logs and tree tops along with some soils and boulders. We are already seeing native trees including red maple, oak (several species), sycamore, river birch, tulip poplar, and others taking root in the floodplain joined by willows and dogwood shrubs. The herbaceous layer is well established, and it provides the most roots to hold soils in place while shrubs and trees catch up over time.
The logs and tree tops help hold soils in place and divert the water into the braided (anastomose) channels, dispersing energy in high flows and reintroducing sediment where the mine had stripped it all clean when in operation. We worked closely with PA DEP and LandUse Studies out of Lititz, PA who conceptualized and permitted this project with PA DEP Mitigation Bank funding the work.
In time, native brook trout will once again inhabit this stream where dace and chubs have already appeared in strong numbers. This project is a low cost and highly effective means for restoration of entire floodplains, and this section of Good Spring Creek is nearly one mile long near the town of Tremont, PA.
