CONTENTS 



Page 



Abstract 1 



Introduction 1 



Acknowledgements 1 



Definition 3 



Reclamation objectives 3 



The reclamation process 3 



Mining history 4 



Reclamation history 4 



Regional characteristics that affect reclamation 20 



Landform and climate 20 



Geology and soils 21 



Vegetation 21 



Site-specific characteristics that affect reclamation 22 



Introduction 22 



Climate 23 



Soil moisture 24 



Droughts 25 



Landform 26 



Overburden 28 



Toxic substances 29 



Soils 32 



Topsoiling 33 



Biological factors 34 



Vegetation 36 



Operational differences 43 



Estimates of reclamation effectiveness 45 



The test of time 47 



Summary 50 



References 51 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Frontispiece. Photographs contrasting old abandoned Weber coal mine in Utah with re- 

 cent reclamation methods used at the Energy 2 mine in Colorado 



1. Map showing locations of 22 western coal mines assessed in the study 2 



2. Aerial photograph showing surface mine of the Arrowhead Coal Company near 



Haynes, North Dakota, and subsidence over the old abandoned under- 

 ground mine 5 



3. Photograph showing truck leaving a boxcut at the West Decker coal mine in 



Montana 6 



4. Aerial photograph of the West Decker mine in Montana 7 



5. Aerial photograph showing the Navajo surface coal mine in New Mexico 20 



