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Field Tour Description
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.

BACKGROUND: Arguably more than anywhere else in the United States, streams within the Midwest are highly impacted by centuries of anthropogenic impacts predominately rooted in agriculture, drainage improvements, and navigational development. Riparian buffers were reduced or lost and stream beds were channelized resulting in increased nutrient load, increased sedimentation, channel incision, and aquatic habitat loss. Traditional mining and reclamation methods often replace these streams with rock lined ditches or remove them entirely. However, due to today’s modern advances in technology, it is now possible to design streams that mimic both the look and the functionality of nature. Steep rock lined ditches are replaced by meandering streams specifically designed to efficiently convey water without excessive erosion or sediment loading and provide a proper mix of habitat zones essential for sensitive aquatic life. Today, mine reclamation may provide a unique opportunity to not just return a Midwestern stream to its pre-mined state, but improve functionality and restore/create a more natural and ecologically sound system.

In recent years, increasing pressure has been put on the mining industry to improve landform reclamation and mitigation of stream impacts. In response, OSM sponsored a forum entitled “Geomorphic Reclamation and Natural Stream Design at Coal Mines” in Bristol, Virginia that addressed many aspects of natural landform and stream design from a national scale. Since that forum, state and industry personnel within the Mid Continent Region (MCR) have identified a need for more focused discussion and education on stream design, construction, and monitoring elements unique to the region. The response was to design a workshop more accessible to Midwestern personnel. The workshop will focus attention on the unique challenges and ecological benefits of utilizing natural stream design methods and practices for coal mine reclamation in the Midwest. In addition, this workshop will provide valuable support to OSM’s and the State’s current chargeof improving protection for streams affected by surface coal mining.

TOPICS COVERED: Technical Session topics include: Midwestern Stream Characteristics, Design and Engineering, Regulatory Issues, Monitoring, and Stream Reclamation Case Studies. This field intensive workshop will include two full-day tours to reclaimed stream projects of widely varying size and age within Southern Illinois and Southwestern Indiana.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Regulators, Industry, and Academia involved in stream reclamation of surface mined lands in the Midwest.

CONTACT: Nick Grant, OSM (MCR), (618) 463-6464 x 5148, ngrant@osmre.gov