Cooperative Agreement S24AC00077

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 VAN EE 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 VAN EE RECLAMATION PROJECT IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 4.3 MILES NORTHWEST OF BUSSEY, IA. AND 14 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KNOXVILLE, IA. IN THE HUC 10 CEDAR CREEK WATERSHED. THE APPROXIMATELY 80-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 .50 MILES UPSTREAM OF CEDAR CREEK, WHICH FLOWS INTO THE DES MOINES RIVER WHICH IS USED FOR RECREATION SUCH AS FISHING AND BOATING. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO RECLAIM THE PROJECT AREA TO ALLEVIATE AML PRIORITY FEATURES AND ESTABLISH A PERMANENT SEEDING TO STABILIZE THE SITE.THE SITE DESIGN RE-ESTABLISHES PRE-MINING DRAINAGE PATTERNS. THE VAN EE PROJECT WILL BE RECLAIMED USING ATRADITIONAL TERRACE DESIGN. THIS DESIGN METHODOLOGY USES A TYPICAL TERRACE AND TILE DESIGN THAT SLOWS OFFSITEWATER THAT IS BEING HELD IN THE TERRACE UNTIL THE DRAIN TILE SLOWLY DRAINS THE WATER THROUGH A WETLAND, ALLOWINGTREATMENT BEFORE BEING DISCHARGED FROM THE SITE INTO AN UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF ENGLISH CREEK. THE SITE WILL BESEEDED WITH FOUR DIFFERENT MIXES: 1) WARM AND COOL SEASON GRASSES AND WILL BE USED FOR UPLAND WILDLIFE HABITATAND EROSION CONTROL. 2) PASTURE SEED MIX. 3) WETLAND FRINGE MIX.4) POLLINATOR SEEDING WILL BE PLANTED TO PROMOTEWILDLIFE HABITAT AND 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 80 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 VAN EERECLAMATION 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 FROM THIS SITE. THE TOTAL RECLAMATION CONSTRUCTION COST IS ESTIMATED AT $2,268,251.00. TOTAL PROJECTCOSTS ARE ESTIMATED AT $2,398,671.00UPON COMPLETION OF RECLAMATION, THE LAND WILL BE USED FOR MOSTLY WILDLIFE HABITAT AND ROTATIONALLY GRAZING FORLIVESTOCK ON PARTS OF THE SITE. THEY MAY ALSO TAKE A CUTTING OF HAY OFF THE SITE, AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIESWILL BE ENHANCED, PROVIDING ECONOMIC AND HEALTH BENEFITS TO ALL IOWANS. RECLAMATION WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT WATERQUALITY AND SOIL HEALTH ON THE SITE AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND SOIL HEALTH IN ADJACENT WATERBODIES AND FIELDSIN THE COUNTY OVER TIME THROUGH THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THE WATER CYCLE AND SOIL SYSTEMS.