OSMRE Presents New Mexico the Small Project Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award

WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement honored the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division, Abandoned Mine Land Program, during the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs conference in Chicago, Sept. 25. New Mexico is the recipient of the Small Project Award for exemplary reclamation work in Colfax County.

“The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards honor the best examples of AML reclamation in our nation,” said David Berry, OSMRE regional director. “Our state and Tribal partners work hard to remove safety hazards and reclaim former coal communities.”

The Dutchman Canyon Maintenance and Stream Restoration AML Reclamation Project remediated a restoration project originally completed in 2012. Torrential flooding had caused erosion to impact restored elements and resulted in the migration of a constructed stream channel. A natural channel was created as part of the reclamation work, using a technique that attempts to emulate natural rivers and drainage patterns. Boulder and graded rock structures were installed within the stream channel to reduce erosion, stop headcutting of the channel, and protect existing banks and benches. More than 900 clusters of willows and cottonwoods and nearly 2,000 wetland plugs were planted along the channel to reduce storm runoff and revegetate the site.

"Most of the work on this project occurred during COVID restrictions in 2020 and 2021, which made for very challenging working conditions here in New Mexico,” said Albert Chang, Mining and Minerals director. “Our AML team persevered, and now the stream channel is showing exceptional stability, vegetative growth, and unprecedented wildlife use. It has held up to a few severe storms and has shown remarkable resiliency. We are very pleased with how this project turned out.” 
The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards, established in 1992, recognize exemplary state and Tribal reclamation projects that reclaim coal mine sites abandoned prior to the signing of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. 

New Mexico is among five recipients of the 2023 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards recognizing reclamation excellence. A National Award is presented to the state or Tribe with the best overall reclamation project. A Small Project Award is presented to the state or Tribe receiving less than $6 million annually in AML funding and completes a project costing less than $1 million. Regional awards are presented to the state or Tribe with the best project within each of the following regions: Appalachian States, Interior States, and Western States and Tribes.

Other Award-Winning Reclamation Programs

NATIONAL AWARD
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Division of Mineral Resources Management

REGIONAL AWARDS

Appalachian States Award
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation

Interior States Award
Iowa Department of Agriculture
Abandoned Mine Land Program

Western States Award
Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety
Inactive Mines Program

To learn about these award-winning projects, visit AML Reclamation Awards. 

– OSMRE –

OSMRE carries out the requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 in cooperation with states and Tribes. OSMRE’s objectives are to ensure that coal mining activities are conducted in a manner that protects citizens and the environment during mining, to ensure that the land is restored to beneficial use after mining, and to mitigate the effects of past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of abandoned coal mines.