Land in the Pella Wildlife Area (pictured) is part of an abandoned coal mine that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is reclaiming. (Photo courtesy of Iowa DNR)
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Thursday it was beginning construction on eight abandoned mine land reclamation projects in southeast Iowa.
Prior to federal reclamation laws in 1977, coal mines across the country, and in Iowa, were not required to remove hazards or stabilize the mined land after closing. This left thousands of acres of land with acidic soils, dangerous piles, embankments and other conditions that are inhospitable to a native ecosystem.
IDALS, using funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior, has cleaned up and reclaimed more than 120 abandoned coal mine sites in the state, and is constructing or designing 22 additional sites.
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Iowa’s abandoned mine reclamation program is viewed nationally as a leader for its innovation in such projects. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the projects are a result of private and public partnerships and reflect Iowa’s “ongoing investment in conservation.”
Naig said the reclamation sites are a “visible sign of progress, producing cleaner water, healthier soil, and safer land for future generations.”
“These AML (abandoned mine land) projects reduce hazards, improve wildlife habitat and create new opportunities for agriculture, conservation and recreation in Iowa,” Naig said.
The eight new projects represent more than $5 million in combined investments and are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, according to the press release.
Each land reclamation project site is different. Of the eight newly announced projects, one is as small as three acres, while the largest stretches 99 acres and will involve moving approximately 884,000 cubic yards of earthwork.
The new projects are in Marion, Van Buren and Wapello counties.
This article has been updated from a previous version.
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