Lost Run is a tributary of Monday Creek located just south of New Straitsville.  The tributary is severely degraded from acid mine drainage that flows from abandoned coal mines.  Over the past three years, several treatment projects have been constructed in Lost Run.  In 2006, four limestone leach beds (ponds filled with limestone) and 4,320 linear feet of limestone channels were installed.  These projects were constructed within the westernmost tributary of Lost Run.  In 2007, a steel slag leach bed (a pond filled with steel slag), four limestone/steel slag berms and 1,255 linear feet of limestone channel were constructed.  To complete the project, one more limestone leach bed, another limestone berm and an additional 700 linear feet of limestone channel will be constructed this spring.

The engineering staff at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral Resources Management, designed all the projects at Lost Run.  The construction firm of Tucson, Inc. of New Philadelphia, Ohio, built the projects in 2006.  The remaining projects are contracted to Stimmel Construction of Logan, Ohio.

The projects completed thus far have resulted in a significant change in the water quality at the mouth of Lost Run.  Prior to construction, the mouth of Lost Run was acidic with a pH of 3. Following construction of the steel slag bed, the pH had increased to 8.