UW Researchers Receive NSF Grant to Study Mine Reclamation

A team of researchers at the University of Wyoming is studying how mine reclamation progresses over time.

Kristina Hufford, an associate professor in the UW Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, recently received a three-year, $450,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for a project titled “Environmental Sustainability of Alternative Mine Reclamation Practices: An Assessment of Ecological Function, Hydrologic Response and Economic Viability.” Co-principal investigators are Roger Coupal, a professor of agricultural and applied economics; Fabian Nippgen, an associate professor of ecosystem science and management; and Noriaki Ohara, an associate professor of civil and architectural engineering.

Geomorphic reclamation recreates the topography and hills of the surrounding landscape, as opposed to traditional reclamation, which creates a more uniform landscape characterized by steep, linear slopes.

Previous research conducted by Hufford and UW graduate student Kurt Fleisher indicates that geomorphic reclamation can result in higher species diversity, more native shrubs and less erosion than traditional reclamation methods.

Most past research has focused on comparing geomorphic reclamation to traditional reclamation. In contrast, this project will study whether sites reclaimed with geomorphic methods provide the same ecosystem services as unmined rangeland and how long it takes these sites to recover and stabilize.

“By examining changes in vegetation, hydrologic function and overall site stability over time, we aim to understand how reconstructing landforms at former mining sites can improve future reclamation strategies,” Hufford says. 

The research will take place in the Gas Hills at an abandoned uranium mine in Fremont County reclaimed under the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Abandoned Mine Lands program.

To model how sites change over time, the UW researchers will compare the Gas Hills locations that underwent restoration over a decade ago to areas in the Gas Hills that recently began the restoration process. The scientists then will compare geomorphic restoration sites to nearby un-mined sites.

The four UW faculty members leading the project each will study different indicators of ecosystem health. Coupal will research ecosystem services and economic impacts, while Nippgen will focus on hydrological function and erosion. Hufford will study vegetation and plant species diversity. Ohara will investigate the distribution of snow in reclaimed sites.

The NSF grant also will support two UW graduate students and several undergraduate students.

To learn more about the new project, call Hufford at (307) 766-5587 or email khufford@uwyo.edu.

About the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources

The University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources serves students and communities through innovative scholarship, research and outreach. Guided by the land-grant principles of discovery and experiential learning, the college facilitates meaningful educational opportunities in the classroom, laboratory and community. The college offers degrees in the departments of agricultural and applied economics, animal science, botany, ecosystem science and management, family and consumer sciences, molecular biology, plant sciences, veterinary sciences, and zoology and physiology. The college also offers degree programs in agricultural communications, microbiology, and ranch management and agricultural leadership.

For more information, call (307) 766-4133 or visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag.