Modeling mined land reclamation strategies in a GIS environment.
1993
Younos T.M. | Yagow E.R. | Zipper C.E. | Diplas P.
The erosion potential from mined lands is considered a major environmental threat. Mathematical models can be used to predict and demonstrate the effectiveness of various reclamation strategies for reducing erosion potential. The objective of this project was to use the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) with a sediment yield component to evaluate the comparative effects of alternative reclamation strategies in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. The study site was an abandoned mined land (AML) site located in southwest Virginia. Topographic and landuse information for the site were obtained from topographic maps, aerial photographs, and field observation. The GIS tools were used to create digital data layers, store, analyze, and display information. The USLE factors were spatially derived from elevation, landuse, surface-water system, and watershed boundary data layers. The basic and derived data layers were then used to estimate the magnitude of soil loss and sediment yield. The methodology was used to predict the soil loss and sediment yield at the existing AML site, and to compare the effectiveness of three reclamation options for reducing soil loss and sediment yields. Results demonstrate the usefulness of the GIS tools for planning land reclamation strategies.
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