QUAIL FARM II ABANDONED MINE LAND RECLAMATION PROJECT

PROJECT LOCATION RURAL CRAWFORD COUNTY, KANSAS

SUBMITTED BY: KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

SURFACE MINING SECTION 4033 PARKVIEW DRIVE

FRONTENAC, KANSAS 66763 MURRAY J. BALK

mbalk@kdheks.gov (620)231-8540

PROJECT START JANUARY 2007

PROJECT COMPLETION

JULY 2009

COST $1,099,894.21

ENGINEERING DESIGN MIKON ENGINEERING ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI

CONSTRUCTION

PRESTON CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. COLUMBUS, KANSAS

SUBMITTED 2013

OVERVIEW “Many surface mined areas in years past now provide for one of Kansas’ most unique public wildlife areas. The distinctive topographical features, numerous strip-mine lakes and abundant wildlife make the Mined Land Wildlife area (MLWA) a favorite destination for many anglers, campers, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts. Although the roads dissecting these rugged properties are needed to access the more remote areas, many of the interior roads pose significant safety hazards and maintenance problems.” Rob Riggin, KDWPT Former MLWA Manager Located only a mile and a half from the university town of Pittsburg, Kansas, the Quail Farm II project area draws many visitors looking for a quiet place to fish, walk or just enjoy nature. On any given spring, summer or early fall day, this particular Mined Land Wildlife Area will be filled with anglers, joggers, hikers, or people searching for the perfect place to stash their geocache. As so aptly stated by former MLWA Manager Rob Riggin above, the interior access roads often pose a threat to the health and safety of the traveling public. Coupled with this is the continuing danger of the public exterior roads that parallel priority two dangerous highwalls. When you add in the components of streams, jurisdictional wetlands, and designated critical Threatened and Endangered Species habitat, you end up with a site full of reclamation challenges. That is why it was essential that a team focused on a common goal be developed to meet the challenge. In addition to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Surface Mining Section and Mikon Engineering, technical assistance was provided by the staff of the Mid-Continent Regional Headquarters in Alton, Illinois the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and in-kind contributions came from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and Quail Unlimited.

THE PROBLEM

After extracting the coal resource and being left with what was seen as valueless land, several coal companies donated thousands of acres to the State of Kansas, specifically the Kansas Fish and Game Commission, now known as the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT). In an effort to make the areas usable, roads were pushed along the tops of spoil ridges, next to strip pit impoundments and throughout the mined area providing access to water resources. Boat ramps were simply made by pushing slots in the highwall and pouring a concrete pad. A boat trailer backed just a few feet too far would be in danger of dropping off the end of the boat ramp. In the 50-60 years since this was done, the safety hazard that the roads and boat ramps present has been recognized. Throughout a three county area in southeast Kansas, there are 45 public use Mined Land Wildlife Areas totaling over 8,000 acres. The Quail Farm II project is located within MLWA Units 5 and 6. The goal of this project was to address the safety hazards while minimizing the impacts to existing vegetation and wildlife and aquatic habitats. In the process, internal roadway improvements such as alignment, grade, sight distance, and surface course were made; favorable fishing ponds were made deeper by raising existing overflows whereas some shallow, marginal ponds were eliminated; better access was provided for boating and fishing in large, newly

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interconnected ponds; hydraulic structures were improved; wetlands were created; and new wildlife habitat diversity was provided.

RECLAMATION DETAILS The Quail Farm II project contained two problem areas containing a total of 11,480 linear feet of Priority II Dangerous Highwalls. The property was acquired by the state in the 1930s from the Lone Star Coal Company. Beginning in 1933, the unmined area in the center of the project was run as a state quail hatchery with as many as 20,000 birds being reported as being released in the late 1950s. The hatchery has been gone for some time, and the unmined area now houses the KDWPT area office but is still known locally as the “Quail Farm”. Bidding on the project was initiated in late 2006 with four bids being received. The contract was issued to Preston Construction Company, Inc. of Columbus, Kansas with a bid of $922,178.25. On January 9, 2007, a Notice to Proceed was issued. One of the challenges for both reclamation design and reclamation construction was the site hydrology. Second Cow Creek a perennial stream traverses the western boundary of the project and several unnamed tributaries which flowed through the site and adjacent wetlands of Second Cow Creek were considered jurisdictional waters of the U.S. Mining left seven major pit impoundments scattered throughout the site. Along the adjacent highly-travelled public road, 560th Avenue, Pond 1 was a long, narrow, shallow pit with a small return leg at the east end. Guardrail installed earlier was sliding into the pit as wave action and erosion caused highwall instability. In the AML inventory, this pond qualified as a Priority 2 Dangerous Highwall. In reclamation, the pond was completely filled except for the east return leg. Pond 2, a popular fishing spot with the added benefit of having handicap access, was raised 1.0’ and provided with a new outlet control structure at the southeast end. This outlet provides water via a manually-operated supply line to a new managed wetland located in a previously unused field where the now defunct quail farm facility used to exist. All outlet valves for wetland management were supplied by the KDWPT. The design for the managed wetland was based on a preliminary design completed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Construction included creating safe distance between all roads and the water’s edge. The majority of the riparian area along Pond 3 was left intact in order to preserve critical habitat for the Myotis grisescens (gray bat) a state listed T&E species. At the pond’s northeast end, fill was placed to increase the safety zone between the park’s main entrance and the pond. A new safely accessible boat ramp was constructed to replace the one demolished in construction. At the southwest end, the existing outlet of channel Pond 3 was protected with riprap to curtail erosion into Pond 4. As construction progressed, additional modifications would be identified for Pond 3. In its previous condition, Pond 4 was unusable and inaccessible so it was deepened by constructing a gabion weir at its outlet end. Raising Pond 4 in order to make a useable fishery had the negative impact of destroying a small area of forested wetland that would require

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Figure 1 Site layout before reclamation with pond locations noted.

mitigation. A new road was constructed to improve public accessibility. It was graded so that KDWPT could easily install a boat ramp using their funding sources. Ponds 5, 6 and 7, as well as the east return leg of Pond 1 were raised and interconnected to improve habitats as well as boating, and fishing. Another access point was provided where Pond 7 previously existed and provided another location for a KDWPT boat ramp. Pond 6 was provided with new outlet works; the ineffective existing dam was in danger of imminent failure due to a faulty pipe and excessive water seepage through the dam. The failure of the dam on Pond 6 would have not only drained Pond 6 but also Pond 5.

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The main access road through the site bordered dangerous drop offs and water bodies. The road was realigned to eliminate a hairpin turn and a dangerous crossing of the creek which ran through the site. The existing reinforced concrete culvert box was demolished and replaced nearby with a longer box culvert oriented at a much improved angle with respect to the roadway. A small portion of the creek was also realigned to permit constructing the improved access road. Well within the site, a loop road provided multiple access points to several, usually small fishing ponds. Over time, vegetation had encroached upon the roadway. Safety issues existed due to the proximity of drop-offs and water bodies. The roadway was reclaimed by clearing, widening and resurfacing, and drop-offs and water bodies were filled to the extent necessary to provide a reasonable safety zone. Most of the reclamation required fill for regrading. Existing spoil ridges provided the fill materials. Regraded areas were seeded with a mixture of warm and cool season grasses together with a mixture of forbs. Northeast of Pond 2, a depression area was incorporated into the grading with the expectations it would develop naturally into a wetland. Northeast of Pond 5, the remaining mound of regraded, revegetated spoil was targeted by KDWPT to be developed into quail and dove habitat. Quail Unlimited provided a native grass and forbs seed mix for 23 + acres on this part of the project. Work impacted both isolated and jurisdictional wetlands. This was the first project that the SMS was required to do an extensive wetland delineation and mitigation plan. OSM-MCR in Alton, Illinois, provided then employee Kale Horton, natural Resource Specialist a trained wetland biologist, to perform the delineation and develop the mitigation plan, as well as prepare all 404 permit documents. The funds that would have been spent on hiring the delineation study could then be put to use on the project site. Before and during grading operations, temporary devices were used to control erosion and minimize sediment transport. After final grading, all disturbed areas were limed, fertilized, seeded and mulched. Erosion control devices remained in place until acceptable vegetative cover was achieved. Existing ditches were protected with vegetation or riprap depending on design flows and velocities. Most cleared materials were piled in adjacent locations and left for habitat diversity. Two new wetlands were constructed: a 5.1 acre KDWPT managed wetland fed with water from Pond 2, and a 2.2 acre naturally developing wetland. A buffer zone of undisturbed land was left along the shorelines of Ponds 5 and 6 and the remaining portion of Pond 1 in order to enhance habitat. Tree seedlings were planted under a subsequent contract along the shoreline for replacement of riparian habitat and specifically for the gray bat, a T&E listed species in Kansas. After the initial reclamation was completed and in the process of building the gabion weir structure which would increase the depth of Pond 4, it was noted that the access to the gabion site crossed a very steep and narrow dam on Pond 3 a few hundred feet upstream of the gabion weir location. Closer inspection of the dam led the SMS to have some very serious concerns about the structural integrity and stability of the structure. Construction traffic over the dam further damaged the structure. Since the failure of the dam could impact the highway about ¾ mile downstream, the construction plans were modified and all NEPA concerns, addressed and OSM

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approved funding for repairing this structure under this contract. An alternative access road was provided to the weir gabion. The work to complete this stabilization increased the contract cost $54,000 and delayed the final completion by about six months due to the permitting process with the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Water Resources, the regulatory agency for dams and water structures in Kansas. The final project cost of $1,099,894.21 included seven change orders and was still less than the second lowest bid of $1,115,879.44.

RESULTS

The primary beneficial result of the project was the elimination of 11,480 linear feet of Priority II Dangerous Highwall. Because of jurisdictional waters of the US and Threatened and Endangered species, construction was designed to include mitigation of 5.0 acres of Surface Water, 2.2 acres of Forested Wetland, 5.1 acres of Moist Soil Wetland, 1,657 linear feet of Riparian Stream Enhancement/Preservation, 275 linear feet of Intermittent Stream Construction, 5,100 linear feet of Open Water Riparian Buffer Enhancement/Preservation and 23.3 acres (+/-) of Native Grassland/Open Water Mosaic. Over 3,000 trees were planted as part of the mitigation under a subsequent contract. A total of 90.5 acres were seeded with little bluestem, sideoats grama, big bluestem, indian grass, and switchgrass as well as a variety of forbs including Maximillian sunflowers specifically planted to attract mourning doves.

Innovative drainage improvements included a large gabion structure used to raise the water elevation in one of the ponds in order to enhance the fishery for public use. Boat ramps were redesigned and made safe in all areas. Where access to the water was necessary but potentially hazardous, a unique system of boulder barricades was installed. The design considerations on all culverts and outlet structures took into account the overall hydrology of the area and the need to prevent any negative downstream affect.

Cooperative input on this project was received from the KDWPT, Quail Unlimited, the

Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Office of Surface Mining, Mid-Continent Regional Office.

When construction of the gabion weir had to be stopped due to problems hauling rock along Pond 3, it was necessary to find an alternative route to complete the weir. The adjacent property was owned by the Southeast Kansas Humane Society and housed their pet shelter. In order to obtain a right of entry for construction access, former staff member Tim Wilson attended a Humane Society Board meeting and left with not only a signed right of entry but also his newly adopted shelter dog “Oscar”. The Board had also indicated to the SMS their desire to have their sewer lagoon cleared of brush. Since work on the lagoon was out of the scope of the AML project, SMS staff members Marlene Spence and Randy Johnson volunteered to clear brush from the structure as community service. To keep the humane society content during construction, these two staff members spent off hours for the next three summers mowing and weed eating the sewer lagoon that served the shelter facility.

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The year 2013 will mark the 5th and final wetland monitoring of the site for Corps of Engineer reporting. PSU Soils Professor, Dr. Dixie Smith, utilizes the site to demonstrate to her students the variances in mined soils as well as watching the development of hydric soil indicators in the newly formed wetland areas. The Quail Farm is used on a regular basis by many local residents due to its close proximity to Pittsburg. The KDWPT has taken advantage of some of the construction clearing and grading to further enhance the wildlife benefit of the site by planting various food plots. The success of the project is measured in safety, but the Quail Farm is more than a safe site, it provides an enjoyable experience to all who utilize its resources.

Figure 2 Basic site reclamation showing new features.

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Photo 1 Before Reclamation-Dangerous Highwalls paralleled the County road, and interior roads traversed dangerously close to the water’s edge.

Photo 2 As seen in Google Earth, the site work improved not only the safety of the site, but the public access.

Photo 3 The 2.2 acre forested wetland is currently surrounded by immature trees. While motor vehicle are prohibited off the roads, the use of a three strand smooth wire fence allows easy access for hiking and bird watching.

Photo 4 Timing of the construction of the gabion weir was dependent on weather conditions. At right, the weir is shown during high flow.

Photo 5 By using rock toes at the base of spoil fills, the loss of water resources is minimized.

Photo 6 Planted under a second contract, trees are an integral part of the

reclamation.

Photo 7 All water features are located safely away from roads. The native grasses as shown at right have formed an excellent erosion cover.

Photo 8 The managed wetland is close to the KDWPT office area and can be used as an outdoor education area.

Photo 9 The hydrology of the area dictated changes to existing drainage features.

Photo 10 Boulder barricades create a natural safety barrier in highly used areas.

Photo 12 SMS staff member Randy Johnson shows results of a hydraulic soil probe to a group of PSU Biology students at the Quail Farm project site.

Photo 11 PSU Biology Professor Dixie Smith (in plaid) helps students investigate the formation of hydric soils in the 5.1 acre managed wetland.