Beside the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania, a major clean-up is being prepared to turn old mining waste into living river habitat. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has reported plans to remove about 247,000 cubic yards of coal silt from State Game Land 286 and to restore a floodplain there. Around 19 acres of floodplain wetlands and riverside buffer areas are planned as part of the work. The project is still in the pre-construction phase, yet the details shared in the commission’s board meeting highlights show how a legacy of coal mining could become quality wildlife habitat and offer improved recreation opportunities.
What the Schuylkill River floodplain restoration in Pennsylvania involves
The project sits on about 40 acres, including support areas, of State Game Land 286 beside the Schuylkill River. Its scope covers three main tasks. First, crews would remove roughly 247,000 cubic yards of coal silt left behind by past river dredging and on-site processing. Second, the work would reclaim an abandoned coal silt settling dam of about 21 acres. Third, it would reconnect and create around 19 acres of floodplain wetlands, wetland fringe and riverside buffer areas. The Schuylkill Conservation District is completing the project in cooperation with the Schuylkill Headwaters Association and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which owns the surface and surface support rights and the coal refuse conveyed with the property.
Federal grant funding and the pre-construction timeline
Funding comes from a federal grant awarded to the Schuylkill Conservation District through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, under its abandoned mine lands and abandoned mine drainage grant programme. At present, the project is in the pre-construction phase. The conservation district expects to issue a request for proposals to find a construction contractor. Once that stage is reached, the Game Commission will enter an agreement with an operator to account for, transport and sell the coal refuse material. Mining will be regulated under the Commonwealth’s mining regulations. No construction date has been announced in the highlights, so the timetable remains open.
Federal grant funding and the pre-construction timeline (Image: Canva)
Selling coal refuse and restoring wildlife habitat on the game land
The project also involves selling the coal refuse. All proceeds from the sale of the coal refuse will be deposited into the Game Fund. The commission points to further value from reclaiming an abandoned mine land feature, restoring and creating quality wildlife habitat, and improving recreation. Put simply, the work would reclaim a former settling dam, remove dredged silt and create wetlands and riverside buffer areas on public game land. A separate proposal from Robindale Energy Services of Armagh, Pennsylvania, seeks to remove coal refuse from four abandoned piles on State Game Land 276, which the commission says would restore wildlife habitat and improve water quality in Blacklick Creek.
What the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners said about this
The details appeared in the highlights of the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners meeting, held on 25 September 2026 at the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters. The floodplain work was listed among the coal refuse reclamation agreements, alongside the Blacklick Creek proposal, rather than among the items the board tabled. Readers who want the full picture can consult the meeting agenda on the commission’s website, and a replay of the meeting is available on its video channel. Because the project has not yet reached construction, key milestones to watch include the contractor request for proposals and the operator agreement for the coal refuse.