Infiltration of surface mined land reclaimed by deep tillage treatments
- Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale, IL (United States)
Surface mining of coal leads to the drastic disturbance of soils. Compaction of replaced subsoil and topsoil resulting from hauling, grading, and leveling procedures produces a poor rooting medium for crop growth. Soil compaction results in high bulk density, low macroporosity, poor water infiltration capacity, and reduced elongation of plant roots. In the United States, Public Law 95-87 mandates that the rooting medium of mined soils have specific textural characteristics and be graded and shaped to a topography similar to premining conditions. Also, crop productivity levels equivalent to those prior to mining must be achieved, especially for prime farmland. Alleviation of compaction has been the major focus of reclamation, and recently new techniques to augment the rooting zone with deep-ripping and loosening equipment have come to the forefront. Several surface mine operators in the Illinois coal basin are using deep tillage equipment that is capable of loosening soils to greater depths than is possible with conventional farm tillage equipment. Information on the beneficial effects of these loosening procedures on soil hydrological properties, such as infiltration, runoff potential, erosion, and water retention, is extremely important for future mined land management. However, such information is lacking. In view of the current yield demonstration regulation for prime farmland and other unmined soils, it is important that as much information as possible be obtained concerning the effect of deep tillage on soil hydrologic properties. The objectives of this study are: (1) to compare infiltration rates and related soil physical properties of mined soils reclaimed by various deep tillage treatments and (2) to study the temporal variability of infiltration and related physical properties of the reclaimed mined soil after deep tillage treatment.
- OSTI ID:
- 106363
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9210116-; ISBN 1-885189-02-8; TRN: 95:020827
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Conference on coal, energy and environment, Ostrava (Czechoslovakia), 12-16 Oct 1992; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Coal, energy and environment: Proceedings; Mead, J.S.; Hawse, M.L. [eds.]; PB: 644 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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