Lakes, Ponds, and Aquatic Habitat on Reclaimed Land

Lakes and ponds are commonly present in abandoned mined lands.  Typically, they have formed in last-cut mine pits and spoil depressions, where the land surface was not brought back to original contour.  Lakes and ponds, if acidic, can be a significant environmental problem and can be very difficult to remediate.  However, if water bodies are only slightly acidic (e.g., pH > 5.5) or alkaline, then there are ways in which to reclaim the land, improve the quality of the water bodies, and make maximum use of them.  Overall, the good quality lakes and ponds can add greatly to post-reclamation land uses.  Abandoned mine lands with lakes and ponds have been used extensively for state parks, boating, camping, fishing, swimming, and wildlife habitat.  There are examples where housing developments have been built on mined lands, with lakes running past each lot.  There are also examples where mine lakes have been used for drinking water supplies and irrigation water.  Mine lakes can add greatly to water storage potential in a watershed.  The water bodies can provide hydraulic storage capacity during storm events, reduce peak flow in the watershed, increase baseflow during summer and fall months, and reduce offsite transport of sediment to downstream reaches.  Thus, the incorporation of water bodies into a post-mining landscape can have positive implications for the watershed containing the mined property.  When planning a reclamation project, there are numerous grading and hydrologic controls that can be employed to maximize the water quality and beneficial uses of the water bodies.  This paper presents success stories related to mine lakes, design considerations, and lessons learned.