RECLAMATION EFFECTIVENESS AT THREE RECLAIMED ABANDONED MINE SITES IN ...

176 Pages·2006·0.92 MB·English

RECLAMATION EFFECTIVENESS AT THREE RECLAIMED ABANDONED
MINE SITES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, MONTANA

by
Tara Christine Tafi

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree

of
Master of Science
in
Land Rehabilitation

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bozeman, Montana

May 2006
© COPYRIGHT
by
Tara Christine Tafi
2006
All Rights Reserved
ii

APPROVAL
of a thesis submitted by
Tara Christine Tafi

This thesis has been read by each member of the thesis committee and had been
found to be satisfactory regarding content, English usage, format, citations, bibliographic
style, and consistency, and is ready for submission to the Division of Graduate Education.

Dennis Neuman

Approved for the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences

Dr. John Wraith

Approved for the Division of Graduate Education

Dr. Joseph Fedock
iii

STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE

In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s
degree at Montana State University, I agree that the Library shall make it available to
borrowers under rules of the library.
If I have indicated my intention to copyright this thesis by including a copyright
notice page, copying is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with “fair use”
as prescribed by the U.S. Copyright Law. Requests for permission for extended
quotation from or reproduction of this thesis in whole or in parts may be granted only by
the copyright holder.

Tara Christine Tafi

May 2006
iv

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

First of all, I would like to thank my major advisor, Dennis Neuman, for his guidance
and support during my graduate education. It was Dennis who helped me get this project
started and helped me every step of the way, and for this I am forever grateful. I also
thank Cathy Zabinski for co-chairing my committee and providing me with the guidance
that I needed. Many thanks to Bill Inskeep and Clayton Marlow for sitting on my
committee and being enthusiastic about my work.
I would like to express my great appreciation to Stuart Jennings, Pam Blicker, Frank
Munshower, and Dawn Major; they have been extremely supportive and helped me
greatly during this experience.
I thank Mike Browne (USFS) for his vision and help developing this project, Floyd
Thompson (BLM) and Huey Long (BLM) for their help in the field, and the Bureau of
Land Management for funding this project. Thanks also to Loren Huggins for his help in
the field. I may still be digging soil pits if not for his help.
Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Yolanda and Dennis Tafi, for without
whom I would have been completely lost in life and graduate school. They have truly
been an inspiration.
v

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................1
Statement of the Problem...............................................................................................1
Purpose of Research.......................................................................................................2
Study Area Description..................................................................................................3
Geology.....................................................................................................................3
Climate......................................................................................................................3
Reclamation Methods...............................................................................................4
Study Site Descriptions..................................................................................................5
Gregory Mine............................................................................................................5
Comet Mine..............................................................................................................7
High Ore Creek.......................................................................................................10

2. LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................13

Revegetation and Reclamation Effectiveness..............................................................13
Metal Tolerant Plants..............................................................................................14
Species Richness and Diversity..............................................................................15
Limiting Factors for Plant Growth...............................................................................17
Electrical Conductivity...........................................................................................17
Topsoil Depth..........................................................................................................18
Soil pH....................................................................................................................18
Trace Elements in the Root Zone............................................................................19
Zinc.....................................................................................................................20
Cadmium.............................................................................................................21
Copper.................................................................................................................22
Lead.....................................................................................................................22
Arsenic................................................................................................................23
Upward Migration of Contaminants.......................................................................24
Nutrient Content......................................................................................................25
Nitrogen..............................................................................................................26
Phosphorous........................................................................................................26
Potassium............................................................................................................27
Organic Matter Content......................................................................................28
Water Availability...................................................................................................28
vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTINUED

Page

3. METHODS AND MATERIALS.................................................................................30

Sample Area Selection.................................................................................................30
Gregory and Comet Mines......................................................................................30
High Ore Creek.......................................................................................................31
Sampling Design and Analysis....................................................................................31
Soil Sample Collection................................................................................................32
Soil Sample Preparation...............................................................................................32
Soil Analytical Procedures...........................................................................................33
Acidity and Electrical Conductivity Determination...............................................33
Nutrient Analysis....................................................................................................33
Soluble Metal Analysis...........................................................................................34
Total Recoverable Metals Analysis........................................................................34
Vegetation Sample Collection and Preparation...........................................................34
Canopy Cover.........................................................................................................32
Above Ground Biomass..........................................................................................34
Statistical Methods.......................................................................................................35
ANOVA..................................................................................................................35
Correlation..............................................................................................................36

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION..................................................................................37

Vegetation....................................................................................................................37
Soil Chemistry.............................................................................................................37
Correlation Analyses....................................................................................................39
Gregory Mine...............................................................................................................44
Vegetation...............................................................................................................44
Soluble Metals and Arsenic....................................................................................46
Total Metals and Arsenic........................................................................................46
Nutrients..................................................................................................................48
Correlation Analyses ..............................................................................................49
Comet Mine.................................................................................................................52
Vegetation...............................................................................................................52
Soluble Metals and Arsenic....................................................................................53
Total Metals and Arsenic........................................................................................54
Nutrients..................................................................................................................54
Correlation Analyses...............................................................................................56
High Ore Creek............................................................................................................60
Vegetation...............................................................................................................60
Soluble Metals and Arsenic....................................................................................61
vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTINUED

Page

Total Metals and Arsenic........................................................................................63
Nutrients..................................................................................................................63
Correlation Analyses...............................................................................................64

5. CONCLUSIONS..........................................................................................................66
Vegetation Attributes and Soil Chemistry...................................................................67
Gregory Mine.........................................................................................................67
Comet Mine...........................................................................................................68
High Ore Creek......................................................................................................69
Established Vegetation...........................................................................................70
Monitoring Reclamation Effectiveness..................................................................71

REFERENCES CITED......................................................................................................73

APPENDICES...................................................................................................................79

APPENDIX A: Canopy Cover and Biomass Production Data....................................80

APPENDIX B: Species Lists for All Sites................................................................127

APPENDIX C: Soil Chemistry Data........................................................................134

APPENDIX D: Statistical Analyses Output.............................................................154
viii

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. General Seed Mix Used at the Gregory Mine.........................................................7

2. Wetland Seed Mix Used at the Gregory Mine........................................................7

3. Streambank and Floodplain Seed Mix Used at the Comet Mine............................9

4. Non-Streambank Seed Mix Used at the Comet Mine.............................................9

5. Upper Streambank Seed Mix Used at High Ore Creek........................................11

6. Riparian Seed Mix Used at High Ore Creek.........................................................11

7. Soil Salinity Guide................................................................................................17

8. Effects of pH on the Availability of Trace Elements in Soil................................19

9. Daubenmire Cover Classes and Midpoints...........................................................34

10. Vegetation Summary Across All Sites................................................................37

11. Summary of Soil Trace Elements Evaluated for this Study................................38

12. Summary of Soil pH and Metal Levels in Surface Soil Samples from
the Gregory Mine, the Comet Mine, and High Ore Creek...............................39

13. Summary of Average Soil Nutrient (mg kg-1) and Organic Matter (%)
Concentrations at All Sites...............................................................................40

14. Gregory Mine Vegetation Summary....................................................................44

15. Species Located in Sample Areas at the Gregory Mine......................................45

16. Soil pH (standard units) and Soluble Metals and Arsenic (mg L-1)
Levels at the Gregory Mine.............................................................................47

17. Total Metals and Arsenic (mg kg-1) in Surface Soil Samples
from the Gregory Mine....................................................................................48
ix

LIST OF TABLES CONTINUED

Table Page

18. Nutrient (mg kg-1) and Organic Matter (%) Concentrations in
Surface Soil Samples from the Gregory Mine.................................................49

19. Comet Mine Vegetation Summary......................................................................52

20. Species Located in Sample Areas at the Comet Mine.........................................53

21. Total Metal and As (mg kg-1) in Surface soil Samples
from the Comet Mine.......................................................................................54

22. Nutrient (mg kg-1) and Organic Matter (%) Concentrations in
Surface Soil Samples from the Comet Mine....................................................55

23. High Ore Creek Vegetation Summary.................................................................60

24. Species Located in Sample Ares at High Ore Creek...........................................61

25. Soil pH (standard units) and Soluble Metal and As (mg L-1)
Levels in Surface Soil Samples from High Ore Creek....................................62

26. Total Metal and As (mg kg-1) Levels in Surface Soil Samples
from High Ore Creek.......................................................................................63

27. Nutrient (mg kg-) and Organic Matter (%) Concentrations in
Surface Soil Samples from High Ore Creek....................................................64

28. Field Canopy Cover Data, Total Percent Cover by Species and Sample Area,
Standard Deviation, and Species Frequency from the Gregory Mine.............81

29. Production Data from the Gregory Mine.............................................................99

30. Field Canopy Cover Data, Total Percent Cover by Species and Sample Area,
Standard Deviation, and Species Frequency from the Comet Mine..............104

31. Production Data from the Comet Mine.............................................................114

32. Field Canopy Cover Data, Total Percent Cover by Species and Sample Area,
Standard Deviation and Species Frequency from High Ore Creek...............119