Research on the Hydrology and Water Quality of Watersheds Subjected to Surface Mining: Final Report

摘要

In 1976, an investigation was begun on the impact of surface mining and reclamation on the hydrology and water quality of surface and subsurface waters. The study was conducted in the Ohio coal surface mining region and considered three different coalbeds of Pennsylvanian age. The basic research unit at each site consisted of a watershed of less than 50 acres with an accompanying sediment pond and instrumentation for monitoring climatic variables. The watershed was instrumented to monitor ground water levels and surface water flow and to collect samples of both for water quality analyses. Each site was monitored throughout an approximate 5-year period. Four different slopes were used to study erosion processes and the effectiveness of reclamation treatments on the establishment of vegetative cover on a reclaimed surface.