Hydrologic characteristics of Appalachian loose‐dumped spoil in the Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky |
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| Authors: | Timothy J Taylor Carmen T Agouridis Richard C Warner Christopher D Barton Patrick N Angel |
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| Institution: | 1. Stantec Consulting, Inc., 1409 N. Forbes Rd., Lexington, KY 40546, USA;2. University of Kentucky, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, 128 C.E. Barnhart Bldg., Lexington, KY 40546, USA;3. University of Kentucky, Department of Forestry, 214 T.P. Cooper Bldg., Lexington, KY, 40546, USA;4. United States Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining, Matewan Bank Bldg., 421 West Highway 80, London, KY 40741, USA;5. The contribution of Patrick N. Angel to this article was prepared as part of his official duties as a United States Federal Government employee. |
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| Abstract: | Heavily compacted lands, typical of traditional surface mine reclamation techniques, have been shown to hinder tree growth, increase levels of flooding, and produce suboptimal water quality. Utilizing loose‐dumped spoil, in accordance with the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA), has demonstrated success with regards to promoting tree growth and survival; however, additional information is needed to assess the potential of FRA to ameliorate other environmental concerns related to water quantity. To better understand the hydrologic characteristics of loose‐dumped spoil, key hydrograph parameters (discharge volume, peak discharge, discharge duration, lag time, and response time) were monitored for three common spoil types: (1) predominately brown weathered sandstone, (2) predominately gray weathered sandstone, and (3) a mixture of both sandstones and shale. Although spoil types were found to differ hydrologically, these differences were relatively minor. Measured discharge volumes were low (averaging 12% of rainfall for all events and treatments), peak discharge rates were small (between 2·5 × 10?5 and 3 × 10?3 m3/s), and the duration of discharge was long (6 days on average). From a hydrologic perspective, the results of this study indicate that mine spoils need not be segregated for reclamation as long as the spoil is placed in accordance with the loose‐dumped techniques as outlined in the FRA. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | coal surface mining Forestry Reclamation Approach hydrograph modelling |
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