Mine Reclamation Modeling Software for the EPA

Leppert Associates was asked by the USEPA to develop software to aid in the reclamation of surface mines in Alabama. Historically, surface mine reclamation involved restoring the mine topography to initial undisturbed conditions, but it was discovered that the rivers that the restored land could not sustain the rivers as it did before mining. This was because the soils, while placed to the same elevation as before, were not placed to the same hydraulic conductivity as before. Leppert Associates proposed developing simplified simulation software that could model the hydrologic response to various remediation designs.

The result was MRHC, or Mine Reclamation Hydrologic Conceptualization. MRHC includes pre-loaded datasets of topography, land cover type, precipitation, and evapotranspiration. The user specifies the mine permitted area, and then MRHC automatically determines the containing watershed. It then applies the data from the loaded datasets and prompts the user for the remaining information such as depth to groundwater. MRHC then produces input files for a groundwater/surface water interaction simulator caller PARFLOW. After PARFLOW models the hydrologic response, MRHC reads the output files and produces meaningful reports and graphics.

This software is in its late stages of development, with some components undergoing beta testing. Leppert Associates is working with the USEPA, the Army Corp. of Engineers, and the Alabama Surface Mining Commission to finalize the software. In the mean time, Leppert Associates uses the software in development mode to aid in the reclamation of surface mines as a consulting service rather than a software product.