The objective of this research was to conduct a cluster analysis of mean water quality data of 1,624 samples collected from 84 mine discharge sites within the Monongahela River basin over a 10 year period. This analysis produced four basic clusters. These four clusters were distinguished primarily by three factors: total dissolved solids, degree of acid neutralization, and mine discharge maturity. Most of the mine discharge sites (84%) were classified into a single cluster by the level one cluster analysis. Most of the discharges in this dominant grouping were older discharges from mines abandoned more than 15 years prior to discharge sampling. The discharges in the other three level one clusters exhibiting higher TDS levels tended to be more acidic and also to be from active mines, mines in the process of flooding, or mines flooded for less than 15 years Future research should be devoted towards identifying the discharge maturity and flooding status of the various mine sites within the dataset, as well as the coal seam and overburden characteristics. The identification of these characteristics for all of the mine discharge sites would permit the analysis of separate datasets with comparable characteristics.
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