Laserfiche WebLink
CHAPTER II <br />~• LITERATURE REVIEIJ <br />Recently regraded surface coal mined lands, either nontopsoiled <br />or topsoiled, are vulnerable to soil erosion, particularly during the <br />period prior to adequate vegetation establishment. Nearly all recla- <br />mation efforts are directly or indirect]y expended in some way toward <br />controlling erosion (Hodder, 1975). Thus, an understanding of the <br />erosion process, knowledge of the physical properties of regraded <br />surface mined lands influencing the erosion process - including the <br />effect of management alternatives on those physical properties - and <br />possessing methods to quantitatively measure or predict the erosion rates <br />i of regraded spoils are all necessary for an adequate reclamation effort. <br />Soil erosion by water is the process of: (1) detachment of the <br />• soil particle from the soil surface, either from raindrop impact on the <br />bare soil or in the concentrated area where overland flow exceeds the <br />critical tractive force for the existing soil conditions; (2) transport <br />i of the detached soil particles (sediment); and (3) deposition of the <br />sediment when the transport capabilities of the overland flow are <br />reduced by ground cover, decreased slope steepness, or other factors <br />(Meyer, 1976). <br />In order to achieve the management objective of reducing the erosion <br />' potential on regraded surface coal mined land, all phases of the <br />erosion process must be considered. Aground cover should be esta- <br />blished to reduce raindrop impact soon after regrading, and any <br />I management technique which reduces the volume, velocity, or distance <br />• .traveled by overland flow will reduce sheet, rill and gully erosion <br />I 3 <br />