Description of the physical environment and coal-mining history of west-central Indiana, with emphasis on six small watersheds

Book · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6911465

Martin, J D; Crawford, C G; Duwelius, R F; Renn, D E

West-central Indiana is underlain by coal-bearing Pennsylvanian rocks. Nearly all of the area has been glaciated at least once and is characterized by wide flood plains and broad, flat uplands. The most productive aquifers are confined or unconfined outwash aquifers located along the major rivers. Bedrock aquifers are regionally insignificant but are the sole source of groundwater for areas that lack outwash, alluvium, or sand and gravel lenses in till. Indiana has [gt] 17 billion short tons of recoverable coal reserves; about 11[percent] can be mined by surface methods. More than 50,000 acres in west-central Indiana were disturbed by surface coal mining from 1941 through 1980. Ridges of mine spoil have been graded to a gently rolling topography. Soils are well drained and consist of 6 to 12 inches of silt-loam topsoil that was stockpiled and then replaced over shale and sandstone fragments of the graded mine spoil. Grasses and legumes form the vegetative cover in each watershed. Pond Creek and the unnamed tributary to Big Branch are streams that drain mined and unreclaimed watersheds. Approximately one-half of the Pond Creek watershed is unmined,agricultural land. Soils are very well drained shaly silty loams that have formed on steeply sloping spoil banks. Both watersheds contain numerous impoundments of water and have enclosed areas that do not contribute surface runoff to streamflow. The ridges of mine spoil are covered with pine trees, but much of the soil surface is devoid of vegetation.

• OSTI ID: 6911465
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
AQUIFERS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOLOGY
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
HYDROLOGY
INDIANA
MASS TRANSFER
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION SOURCES
RUNOFF
SPOIL BANKS
SURFACE MINING
USA
WATERSHEDS