Source of Reclamation Material By Soil Type

National Park Service:
Thomas Colson

Reclamation material is used in areas that have been drastically disturbed by surface mining or similar activities. When these areas are reclaimed, layers of soil material or unconsolidated geological material, or both, are replaced in a vertical sequence. The reconstructed soil favors plant growth. The ratings do not apply to quarries or other mined areas that require an offsite source of reconstruction material. The ratings are based on the soil properties that affect erosion and stability of the surface and the productive potential of the reclaimed soil. These properties include the content of sodium, salts, and calcium carbonate; reaction; available water capacity; erodibility; texture; content of rock fragments; and content of organic matter and other features that affect fertility. The soils are rated "good," "fair," or "poor" as potential sources of reclamation material. The ratings are based on the amount of suitable material and on soil properties that affect the ease of excavation and the performance of the material after it is in place. The thickness of the suitable material is a major consideration. The ease of excavation is affected by large stones, depth to a water table, and slope. How well the soil performs in place after it has been compacted and drained is determined by its strength (as inferred from the AASHTO classification of the soil) and linear extensibility (shrink-swell potential). Normal compaction, minor processing, and other standard construction practices are assumed. When the material is properly used in reclamation, a rating of "good" means that establishing and maintaining vegetation are relatively easy, that the surface is stable and resists erosion, and that the reclaimed soil has good potential productivity. A rating of "fair" means that vegetation can be established and maintained and the soil can be stabilized through modification of one or more properties. For satisfactory performance, it may be necessary to topdress with better suited material or add soil amendments. A rating of "poor" means that revegetation and stabilization are very difficult and costly. To establish and maintain vegetation, it is necessary to topdress with better suited material. Numerical ratings between 0.00 and 0.99 are given after the specified features. These numbers indicate the degree to which the features limit the soils as sources of reclamation material. The lower the number, the greater the limitation. The map unit components listed for each map unit in the accompanying Summary by Map Unit table in Web Soil Survey or the Aggregation Report in Soil Data Viewer are determined by the aggregation method chosen. An aggregated rating class is shown for each map unit. The components listed for each map unit are only those that have the same rating class as listed for the map unit. The percent composition of each component in a particular map unit is presented to help the user better understand the percentage of each map unit that has the rating presented. Other components with different ratings may be present in each map unit. The ratings for all components, regardless of the map unit aggregated rating, can be viewed by generating the equivalent report from the Soil Reports tab in Web Soil Survey or from the Soil Data Mart site. Onsite investigation may be needed to validate these interpretations and to confirm the identity of the soil on a given site.

Source of Reclamation Material By Soil Type

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