Cooperative Agreement S24AC00076

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 JOHNSON 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 JOHNSON RECLAMATION PROJECT IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NW OF BUSSEY, IA, AND 15 MILES SOUTH OFKNOXVILLE, IA. THE APPROXIMATELY 10.5-ACRE ABANDONED MINE LAND (AML) SITE WAS MINED PRIOR TO 1977. THERECLAMATION PROJECT WILL ELIMINATE THE COAL MINING FEATURES THAT PRESENT A DANGER TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THEPUBLIC AND RESULT IN ACID MINE DRAINAGE. THE SITE IS APPROXIMATELY .75 MILES UPSTREAM OF CEDAR CREEK, LOCATED INTHE HUC 10 CEDAR CREEK WATERSHED, AND DISCHARGES INTO AN UNKNOWN TRIBUTARY THAT DRAINS DIRECTLY INTO CEDAR CREEK, WHICH FLOWS INTO THE DES MOINES RIVER THAT IS USED FOR FISHING AND CANOEING, AS WELL AS PUBLIC RECREATION. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO RECLAIM THE PROJECT AREA TO ALLEVIATE AML PRIORITY FEATURES AND ESTABLISH A PERMANENTSEEDING TO STABILIZE THE SITE.THE SITE DESIGN RE-ESTABLISHES PRE-MINING DRAINAGE PATTERNS. THE JOHNSON 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 CEDAR CREEK. THE SITE WILL BE SEEDED WITH TWODIFFERENT MIXES: 1) WARM AND COOL SEASON GRASSES AND WILL BE USED FOR UPLAND WILDLIFE HABITAT AND EROSIONCONTROL. 2) WETLAND FRINGE GRASSES, RUSHES, AND SEDGES WILL BE PLANTED TO PROMOTE WILDLIFE HABITAT AND PROMOTEWATER 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 10 ACRES UTILIZING CONVENTIONALTERRACES AND TILES FOR RECLAMATION. THE IOWA AML PROGRAM HAS OVERSEEN MORE THAN 62 SIMILAR AND SUCCESSFULRECLAMATION 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 JOHNSON RECLAMATION PROJECT. PATHFINDERS RC D WILL WORK WITH THE STATE OF IOWAS AML PROGRAM TO RECLAIM THE SITE. FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR EARTHMOVING, WATER AND SOIL NEUTRALIZATION, AND SEEDING ACTIVITIES TO ELIMINATE THE ACID MINE DRAINAGE FROM THIS SITE. THE TOTAL RECLAMATION CONSTRUCTION COST IS ESTIMATED AT $435,113.00. TOTAL PROJECT COSTS ARE ESTIMATED AT $565,533.00UPON COMPLETION OF RECLAMATION, THE LAND WILL BE USED FOR MOSTLY 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.