Cooperative Agreement S24AC00078

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 WOODRUFF NORTH ABANDONED MINE LAND SITE. THE SITE POSES A WATER QUALITYRESOURCE 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 WOODRUFF NORTH RECLAMATION PROJECT IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 2.36 MILES WEST OF BUSSEY, IA, .64 MILESSOUTHWEST OF THE BUSSEY SCHOOL, AND 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KNOXVILLE, IA. IT IS PART OF THE NORTH CEDAR CREEK HUC10 WATERSHED THAT DISCHARGES INTO NORTH CEDAR CREEK. THE APPROXIMATELY 120-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 PUBLIC S HEALTH AND SAFETY, RESULTING IN ACID MINE DRAINAGE. THE SITE IS APPROXIMATELY .24 MILES UPSTREAM OF THE NORTH CEDAR CREEK, WHICH FLOWS INTO THE DES MOINES RIVER, WHICH IS USED FOR RECREATION SUCH AS FISHING AND BOATING. THE PROJECT AIMS TO RECLAIM THE 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 WOODRUFF NORTH 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 NORTH CEDAR CREEK. THE SITE WILL BE SEEDEDWITH TWO DIFFERENT MIXES: 1) WARM AND COOL SEASON GRASSES AND WILL BE USED FOR UPLAND WILDLIFE HABITAT, HAYING,AND EROSION CONTROL. 2) WETLAND FRINGE GRASSES, RUSHES, AND SEDGES WILL BE PLANTED TO PROMOTE WILDLIFE HABITATAND 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 120 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 WOODRUFF NORTH 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 ORIGINATING FROM THIS SITE. THE TOTAL RECLAMATION CONSTRUCTION COST IS ESTIMATED AT $4,890,465.45. TOTAL PROJECT COSTS ARE ESTIMATED AT $5,020,885.45UPON COMPLETION OF RECLAMATION, WILDLIFE HABITAT AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE ENHANCED, PROVIDINGECONOMIC AND HEALTH BENEFITS TO ALL IOWANS. RECLAMATION WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT WATER QUALITY AND SOIL HEALTH ONTHE SITE AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND SOIL HEALTH IN ADJACENT WATERBODIES AND FIELDS IN THE COUNTY OVER TIMETHROUGH THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THE WATER CYCLE AND SOIL SYSTEMS.