Geomorphic Reclamation 03122013.ppt - Axley
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GEOMORPHIC RECLAMATION PUZZLES & POSSIBILITIES
Dr. Tom Hunt, Director of Science
Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
Professor Emeritus
University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Change: Land Cover/Land Use
WDNR
Wisconsin’s Changing Landscape150+ Years
WDNR
Mining as a Land Use: Emblazoned on The Badger State Seal
Puzzle PiecesPopulation Growth
Standard of LivingMedical Advances
Changing DemographicConsumptive Lifestyles
Present & Future Decision-makers Disconnected from Materials Cycle (Last Child in the Woods)
MiningAgricultureForestryFishery
Squandering Resources/The Building Over Paradox?
Puzzle Pieces
Public Hostility Toward Mining (NIMBY)Perceived environmental crises create exhaustion, psychological stress, and opposition
Increased Pressure on Industry and AgenciesFind Viable Walk-Away Solutions to Operational and Environmental Issues
Role of Reclamationists, Miners, Agency Staff, Consulting ProfessionalsSustainability of Industry and EnvironmentUnderstand Site Threats & Capabilities (Capability Brown)integrating the physical, biological, cultural, economic sense of place is the crux
Possibilities
What Can Be Done?Much Depends on Perspective – Outlook – PhilosophyWhat Guides Your Reclamation
Some guided by land as a commoditySome guided by pocketbookSome guided by scienceSome guided by minimum regulatory requirementsSome guided by land ethicMost guided by a blend
WHY RECLAMATION?AESTHETICSFISH & WILDLIFE HABITATACCELERATE SUCCESSIONAL TRAJECTORYCREATE RESILIENT SYSTEMS (biodiversity)SOIL HEALTH (building/rebuilding soil)PHYTOREMDIATIONEROSION CONTROLLEGAL REQUIREMENTGEOMORPHIC FUNCTION & STABILITY (hydrology & materials)ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (O2, pollinators, temperature modulation, water purification…)
What Can Be Done?Site Analysis
Establish Your Baseline – image acquisition/basemapAppraise your mineral wealthIdentify risks, limitations, hazards, and capabilities (Economic, Cultural, & Environmental)
Business PlanKnow what you can and can’t do – there is no substitute for good business management Financially, physically, practically
Visualize the desired outcome & know your benchmarkGap analysis
Approved post-mining land use plan – primary driver
Possibilities
Residential/Commercial
Wildlife HabitatUpland Game Birds Non-game Song Birds
Mudd/Chikowski BMC
Agriculture/ForestryPOOP & STOMP
Geomorphic Reclamation; Opportunity to Fully Embrace Nonmetallic Reclamation Guidelines
Climate Weather patterns, hardiness zones, microclimate
Hydrology Resilient reclamation = water, water, water
Geomorphic Features Slope, aspect, relief, erosivity, shaping
Soils Characteristics, topsoil, subsoil, distribution, handling
Made structures Roads, highways, rail, ports
Biota T&E species Habitat
Extensional landscape compatibility
Hydrology: Watershed/Catchmentappropriate hydrologic unit of analysis
Portion of watershed showing process of rainfall, interception, evaporation, transpiration, infiltration, percolation, groundwater flow, overland flow, subsurface flow, surface storage, detention storage, and channel precipitation
Depicts series of storage and flow processes: boxes are storage, arrows are flow: illustrates terms and simple mathematical modeling
Geomorphic Reclamation
Mimics the native landforms and gives reclamation a natural lookReengages the Geomorphic processes giving landforms shape (slope complexity, aspect, drainage)Function of how properties of rock and soil (hardness, cohesiveness, etc.) interact with the forces of erosion to establish stable and diverse landforms
Benefits
Varied Landscape Suits More Species
Improved Water Quality
Increased Ecological Value
Increased Post Mining Land Use Options
Elimination of Rock Lined Ditches
More Natural Looking Landscape
Reduced Lifecycle Maintenance Cost
Capture Site Imagery
AES Imaging Plane & Multi-Spectral Sensor
MappingMulti-Spectral Imagery Interpretation
8” Resolution IR 8” Resolution RGBMulti-Spectral
High Quality Imagery is Necessity
High Quality ImageryLow cost high resolution image capture
Fills data gap between remote sensing and ground surveying
Real time monitoring mechanism for resource extraction activities
Collects precise information at low altitudes
On-demand aerial data collection
Stunning detail: identification of six inch-features
Imagery Products3-d images of the surface features: areas of disturbance, roads, stockpiles, drainage patterns, storage tanks, vehicles & equipment, perimeter fencing, etc.Vertical and horizontal measurements of surface features (area, volume, off-site impacts, etc.)Exhibits developed in conjunction with photography interpretation and geographic information systems (GIS)
Topographic Mapping and Volume Estimating
Data Compilation and Preparation
Slope and Topographic Position Index (TPI)
Low Slopes (Green)
Mudd/Chikowski BMC
Sub Watershed Collected in Channel
Inlet to Channel
Switchback desig
Split the Peaks
Reverse Drainage
Mudd/Chikowski BMC
Mudd/Chikowski BMC
N 21%NE 12%E 3%SE 4%S 30%SW 9%W 5%NW 16%
N 5%NE 4%E 5%SE 0%S 24%SW 9%
LAND ASPECT: DIVERSE vs MONOTYPIC
NATURAL LANDFORM Creates Landscape Resilience
CONVENTIONAL LANDFORM
Resilient not Static
The finished site needs to be in steady state hydrologic equilibrium
Landforms should erode roughly at the prevailing rate of the surrounding landscape
Streams in hydrologic equilibrium do move and erode
Biota – ResilientHabitat Design
Establish baseline information
Develop bio-criteria for assessment of ecosystem health
Establishing habitat goals and objectives aimed at reclaiming an ecosystem
Determining if current and future reclamation efforts are promoting a "more natural" or "unnatural" assemblage of plant and animal communities
Soil Density Soil PrepNuclear Density Probe Vibratory Ripper
Mulch Stockpile, Research Plots & Tree Nursery
Hydric Soil Storage Experimental Wetland
Revegetation TechniquesDrilling & Mulching
Revegetation TechniquesTree Spade & Whips/Tree Guards
Revegetation TechniquesPlugging Hydric Species
Geomorphic Drainage SwaleZone Planting Technique
ReclamationMonitoring
Restored Wetland Biofilter
Wildlife Habitat
Goals describe the habitat
Objectives describe the parameters and life cycle of target species
Design criteria describe look and feel of the habitat
Criteria for Ruffed Grouse Habitat
• Expand aspen stands.
• Target three age classes: <5 yrs for brood; 6-25 yrs for nesting, cover, and wintering adults; and >25 yrs for winter food and brood cover.
• Develop dense vertical thickets of hazelnut, sumac, black berries, and young oaks.
• Consider conifers for winter cover.
• Intersperse stands.
UWEX G3578
Landscape Context & Compatibility
Mining: A Transitional Land Use
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