Point Source, 2018
Downstream, 2018
Archival Inkjet Prints, 30" x 30"
36" x 36" frames
The Cheat Watershed is home to one of the largest outputs of acid mine drainage in the United States. Polluted streams can become so acidic that they are unable to support aquatic life. Many of these streams are barren for miles. In the Cheat River’s case, this drainage contributes to the drinking water of 2,351 residents in Kingswood, Albright, Parsons, and Rowlesburg, WV. Many of these residents are unaware of the heavy metals in their water. These mines were abandoned before the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, and the companies were not held responsible for mine closure. It will require decades for this watershed to heal.
Both images are important to understand the spread of acid mine drainage. Point Source is photographed at the mouth of an abandoned mine. Downstream depicts a location where a polluted stream meets with and contaminates a healthy stream. When mixing chemistry for the film developing process, water collected from the point source was used in place of distilled water.