2011 Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award Nomination Submitted April 19, 2011

Transcription

1 2011 Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award Nomination Submitted April 19, 2011 Project Name: Project Location: Brookside/Spring Creek Park Reclamation Project Town of Brookside Fremont County, Colorado Submitted by: Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Inactive Mines Reclamation Program 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado Bruce Stover, Program Director Julie Annear, Project Manager Project Details: Reclamation Construction Begun: June 23, 2009 Reclamation Construction Completed: April 6, 2011 Reclamation Construction Cost (OSMRE only): $76,734 Reclamation Construction Total Cost: $238,734 Parties Involved in Reclamation Process: Project Design, Bidding, Construction Management: Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety - Inactive Mine Reclamation Program Project Partners: Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement Town of Brookside McCollum Excavating Great Outdoors Colorado Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Colorado Correctional Industries Colorado Work Crew Cornell Youth Detention Center Cowboy Erosion Control Fremont Paving Mountain Masonry The Aggregate Source

2 Introduction The Spring Creek Park Project is located in the Town of Brookside south of Canon City, Colorado. The acre parcel was purchased by the Town of Brookside in 2006 with the intent of creating a park. The site was the previous location of the historic Brookside Mine and contained numerous coal waste piles as well as several abandoned mine openings. The park is a natural wildlife sanctuary as it is frequented by elk, deer, bear, fox, coyotes, and a variety of birds. The plant growth is predominately native species, well established, and suitable for wildlife observation. Spring Creek runs the length of the park, and is fed by springs from south of the area. The south park boundary lies high on the rocky bluffs, giving a panoramic view of the Sangre de Christo Mountain Range. The master plan for the park included preserving the native flora and the man-made remnants from the mining era, while constructing hiking paths that highlight its natural and historic attributes. The other goal of the project was to involve the community and create a space that would provide access to the natural environment for future generations. History The Town of Brookside, a small town located on the south side of Canon City, was founded in 1888 by the Canon City Coal Company as a community for the Italian miners and their families. Brookside became an incorporated town in 1913 and has persisted in keeping its own identity since then. Many of the descendents of the original mining families still live in the town today and can remember the mine when it was operating. The Brookside Mine was one of the largest mines in the town, and operated from the late 1800 s through Over 2,000,000 tons of coal was extracted from the site during its operation. Presently, the town is almost completely residential with a mix of small agricultural acreages containing orchards, vineyards, and small pastures. However, in the apex of the mining era, the town contained many bars, and perhaps a few brothels, since liquor was not allowed in nearby Canon City. The town was a favorite set for many silent movies and remained lively until it burned in the late 1800 s. The park still contains foundations of old mining buildings and coal waste piles that testify to its early coal-mining origins. After the coal mines were closed many sites still contained open mine features and barren land. The Brookside Mine contained numerous waste piles and abandoned mine features. Frequently, windblown dust emanating from the area created hazards to both people and livestock. Beer bottles and other debris indicate that the adits received frequent visitation. The unsightly barren areas also became a dumping ground for trash and other debris. In 2006 the Town of Brookside purchased the land containing the Brookside Mine with funds from a natural resource damage settlement. Prior to the purchase, the town approached the Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (CDRMS), Inactive Mines Reclamation Program with a request to address the mining related problems on the site. Concurrently, the town solicited funds for the development of a park from the Department of Natural Resources, in the form of a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant. Project Partnerships and Funding Due to the hazards related to legacy coal mining, the reclamation and cleanup of the Brookside/Spring Creek Park became a priority for the Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (CDRMS), Inactive Mines Reclamation Program. In 2005, the project was funded by the annual Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement (OSMRE) grant. 2

3 The town was also successful in procuring over $162,000 for park improvements from GOCO. The dual funding sources necessitated CDRMS and the Town of Brookside to develop an action plan for park development. CDRMS used OSMRE funds to reclaim the waste piles and safeguard open mine adits as well as provide help with project design, development, construction oversight, and postreclamation revegetation and monitoring. The Town of Brookside used GOCO funds to provide the park amenities and organized multiple volunteer groups to help with trail development and site cleanup. In addition, the Town of Brookside board members contributed countless volunteer hours to park development. The public ownership of the site and its proximity to local residents allowed CDRMS and the Town of Brookside to enlist the assistance, financial commitments, and cooperation of many partners to reclaim land that has become Brookside/Spring Creek Park. Partners included numerous local residents, Colorado Correctional Industries, multiple volunteer groups, college students and several local businesses. Reclamation Plan Using computer-aided design and topographic site surveys, a plan was developed to guide the park development. The plan s initial phase involved safeguarding abandoned mine adits. The next phase of the project involved site cleanup, regrading waste piles and application of topsoil. Finally, site improvements such as trails, a parking area, picnic shelter, toilet, picnic tables, and fencing were installed using a combination of GOCO and OSMRE funds. The trail routes were mapped by a Colorado State University engineering student planner after an on-site visit. The completed plan is attached. The three trails through the park provide slightly over a mile of walking. The three trail variations constructed are shown on the site map, and include the following: A level, easy, American Disability Act (ADA) accessible trail loop through the center of the park, six to eight feet wide; this loop of the trail also provides access for maintenance vehicles and fire trucks, if needed. A second trail of medium difficulty, four-foot wide, that climbs the hill on the west side of the park where preserved mining artifacts can be seen. A bench installed at the highest point of this trail, gives hikers a chance to stop and enjoy the view. A strenuous, three-foot wide trail will climb the bluffs at the south end of the park. Once constructed, it will feature a built-on-site bridge constructed primarily of wood. A revegetation plan was developed for the site by CDRMS environmental specialists. Following final grading of the cover soils, a custom seed mix was combined with Biosol to form a slurry which was sprayed over all disturbed areas. The site then received an application of hydro-mulch. 3

4 Easy trail ADA accessible Parking lot Medium trail Hard trail Construction Sequence Initial preparation of the site was completed by members of the Colorado Correctional Industries State Wildland Inmate Fire Team (SWIFT). In June of 2009 SWIFT inmates cleared the under story and brush in the lower (northern) section of the park and created fuel breaks on the southern boundary. SWIFT crew members are qualified sawyers and worked for six days at the park. The crew size consisted of up to twenty offenders and two staff. The next phase of the project began in June of 2010 with removal of trash and debris from the site. Over 1000 cubic yards of trash was loaded into dumpsters and removed to an authorized waste disposal facility. Following trash removal, clean material was trucked to the site and placed over various areas of the park containing coal waste. Prior to installing the trails and other site improvements, two waste piles were regraded to blend into the surrounding topography. Several abandoned mine adits related to the historic mine were safeguarded by backfilling with imported rip rap. Following the site cleanup, the next phase of the park development included construction of a parking lot and two ADA-accessible hiking trails. 4

5 Concurrently, the Town of Brookside installed a picnic shelter and tables, vault toilet, benches and a split-rail fence around the perimeter of the park. The town also constructed a medium difficulty trail using GOCO funds and the labor of numerous volunteer groups. The medium difficulty trail was specifically designed to highlight the remnants of numerous historic structures related to the Brookside Coal Mine. Finally, hydroseeding and hydromulching of all disturbed areas was completed in April of 2011 using funds from the OSMRE. Over five acres of disturbed land received an application of Biosol, seed and hydromulch in time to capture the benefits of early spring precipitation. A special seed mixture, along with native wildflower seed harvested from the park, was applied to the site. Before After 5

6 Sequence of reclamation construction: The understory of park was cleared of dead branches. Dead trees were felled and mulched. Fire breaks were installed around the southern perimeter of the park. Trash, glass and other debris was loaded into dumpsters and hauled to an authorized waste disposal facility. Coal waste and clinker was graded to blend with the surrounding topography. Clean fill material was imported to the site and to cover coal waste. The material was graded to blend in with the surrounding areas compacted to provide a base for the installation of site improvements. Two ADA-accessible trails and an ADA-approved parking area were created using a combination of gravel and crusher fines. One of the trails is eight feet wide to accommodate fire and emergency vehicles. The other trail meanders through the park to shady benches and picnic areas. This trail is underlain by erosion control fabric to provide stability for wheel chairs. An ADA accessible bridge was built over Spring Creek to link the ADA accessible trail to the parking area. A picnic shelter, vault toilet, split rail fence and picnic benches were installed. The medium difficulty trail was constructed. Biosol, seed and mulch were applied to the area. Future plans include installing signage and completion of the difficult trail. It is anticipated that some additional seeding and erosion control, on a relatively small scale, will continue over the next few years. Picnic Shelter and ADA-Accessible Bridge 6

7 Before After Reclamation Success Although the overall site work involved limited budgets, the Brookside/Spring Creek Park Project overcame all adversity. Success can be measured in various ways; partner involvement, vegetation establishment, or a subjective improvement of land quality based on the potential for beneficial use. By any measure, reclamation on the Brookside/Spring Creek Park Project was successful. This project s accomplishments are largely due to the dedication and commitment of the Town of 7

8 Brookside and the volunteers that donated countless hours. The success of inmates in inmate training programs, such as SWIFT, is also well documented. The inmates that participate in this program, and others like it, have a much lower recidivism rate than non-participants. This was also an incredibly beneficial use of human resources, as these inmates will soon be released with a much greater chance of job placement in fire-fighting jobs. As a CCI superintendent has so eloquently stated, they become men and learn responsibility. SWIFT Crew Colorado Correctional Industries The park project also provided assistance to individuals from the Colorado Work Center, who were currently unemployed, by providing them an opportunity to learn new skills and network with other people. The teens from the Cornell Youth Detention Center learned trail building skills, while at the same time meeting their community service obligations. The residents of the town have already benefitted greatly from the project. This is the only park in the town and, since the town is financially limited, a very important resource for the residents. Many of the town residents do not have cars and there is no public transportation. As a result of its location, residents are able to walk to the park and enjoy the amenities. This park provides the basic elements of an outdoor space with parking, hiking, and picnicking to the residents of the town and surrounding Fremont County. The trails three levels of difficulty from ADA-accessible to difficult allow people of all ages and abilities access to natural areas within their community. 8