Cooperative Agreement S24AC00075

PATHFINDERS RC D IS PARTNERING WITH THE MARION COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND THE IOWADEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND LAND STEWARDSHIP DIVISION OF SOIL CONSERVATION AND WATER QUALITY (THE DIVISION) TO ADDRESS ACID MINE DRAINAGE FROM THE BARNETT ABANDONED MINE LAND SITE. THE SITE POSES A WATER QUALITY RESOURCE CONCERN. THIS CONCERN STEMS FROM HIGH SEDIMENT LOADS COMING FROM DANGEROUS BARREN SPOIL PILES LEFT FROM PREVIOUS COAL MINING ACTIVITY AND ACID MINE DRAINAGE (AMD) FROM UNCONTROLLED RUNOFF AT THE SITE.THE BARNETT RECLAMATION PROJECT IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KNOXVILLE, IA., IN THE HUC 10ENGLISH CREEK WATERSHED. THE APPROXIMATELY 16-ACRE ABANDONED MINE LAND (AML) SITE WAS MINED PRIOR TO 1977. THE RECLAMATION PROJECT WILL ELIMINATE THE COAL MINING FEATURES THAT PRESENT A DANGER TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND RESULT IN ACID MINE DRAINAGE. THE SITE IS APPROXIMATELY .75 MILES UPSTREAM OF ENGLISH CREEK, WHICHFLOWS INTO THE DES MOINES RIVER AND IS USED FOR RECREATION, SUCH AS FISHING AND BOATING. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECTIS TO RECLAIM THE PROJECT AREA TO ALLEVIATE AML PRIORITY FEATURES AND ESTABLISH A PERMANENT SEEDING TO STABILIZETHE SITE.THE SITE DESIGN RE-ESTABLISHES PRE-MINING DRAINAGE PATTERNS. THE BARNETT PROJECT WILL BE RECLAIMED USINGCONVENTIONAL DESIGN. THIS DESIGN METHODOLOGY USES A TYPICAL TERRACE AND TILE DESIGN THAT SLOWS OFFSITE WATER THATIS BEING HELD IN THE TERRACE UNTIL THE DRAIN TILE SLOWLY DRAINS THE WATER THROUGH A WETLAND, ALLOWING TREATMENTBEFORE BEING DISCHARGED FROM THE SITE INTO AN UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF ENGLISH CREEK. THE SITE WILL BE SEEDED WITHTHREE DIFFERENT MIXES. 1) WARM AND COOL SEASON GRASSES WILL BE USED FOR UPLAND WILDLIFE HABITAT AND EROSIONCONTROL. 2) PASTURE SEED MIX. 3) WETLAND FRINGE GRASSES, RUSHES, AND SEDGES WILL BE PLANTED TO PROMOTE WILDLIFEHABITAT AND PROMOTE WATER QUALITY.ACCORDING TO THE PROJECT DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION WILL ABATE ALL THE HAZARDOUS ABANDONED MINE LAND FEATURES. THECONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WILL CLEAR, RE-GRADE, AND RE-VEGETATE APPROXIMATELY 16 ACRES UTILIZING A NATURAL REGRADEMETHOD FOR RECLAMATION. THE IOWA AML PROGRAM HAS OVERSEEN MORE THAN 62 SIMILAR AND SUCCESSFUL RECLAMATION AND AMD REMEDIATION PROJECTS.NO INDIVIDUAL, BUSINESS, OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION HAS ANY LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO RECLAIM THE SITE. WATERSHEDCOOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROGRAM (WCAP) FUNDS WILL BE MATCHED BY STATE AND LOCAL FUNDS TO COMPLETE THE BARNETTRECLAMATION PROJECT. PATHFINDERS RC D WILL WORK WITH THE STATE OF IOWAS AML PROGRAM TO RECLAIM THE SITE. FUNDSWILL BE USED FOR EARTHMOVING, WATER AND SOIL NEUTRALIZATION, AND SEEDING ACTIVITIES TO ELIMINATE THE ACID MINEDRAINAGE ORIGINATING FROM THIS SITE. THE TOTAL RECLAMATION CONSTRUCTION COST IS ESTIMATED AT $431,000.00. TOTALPROJECT COSTS ARE ESTIMATED AT $561,420.00UPON COMPLETION OF RECLAMATION, THE LAND WILL BE USED PRIMARILY FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT AND HUNTING ON THE SITE.RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE ENHANCED, PROVIDING ECONOMIC AND HEALTH BENEFITS TO ALL IOWANS. RECLAMATIONWILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT WATER QUALITY AND SOIL HEALTH ON THE SITE AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND SOIL HEALTH INADJACENT WATERBODIES AND FIELDS IN THE COUNTY OVER TIME THROUGH THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THE WATER CYCLE ANDSOIL SYSTEMS.