Flooding
is a chronic problem in the Tar Creek watershed.
Approximately
75 million tons of “chat” deposited by the mine companies remain
on the surface of the ground. In the background of this picture,
no those are not local hills or distant mountains, those are the
piles of “chat.” 
Acid
mine drainage is another concern in the Tar Creek watershed.
The acidic water causes many problems for the watershed ecosystem.
This picture shows just a piece of the extensiveness of the “chat” piles.
Document Date: September 19, 2003