Environmental Impact Research Program. Restoration of Pyritic Soils and the Quantification of Erosion Control.

Two papers published in the proceedings of the 1983 Symposium on Surface Mining, Hydrology, Sedimentology and Reclamation sponsored by the University of Kentucky are presented. The papers entitled Vegetative Restoration of Pyritic Soils and Quantification of Erosion Control and Runoff Water Quality from Pyritic Soil Restoration Demonstration Plots. The first paper presents the results of a pyritic soil restoration project designed to demonstrate restoration methods described in Instruction Report EL-84-1, Restoration of Problem Soil Materials at CE Construction Sites, developed at the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station WES. Restoration methods include the use of soil amendments and adapted species for long-term establishment of grasses, legumes, and woody species for erosion control. The second paper describes a technique employing the WES rainfall simulator to quantify the effectiveness of restoration techniques for controlling erosion and runoff water quality. A laboratory rainfall simulator lysimeter system was developed for estimating soil loss from disturbed soils. These data were then verified in the field using the mobile WES rainfall simulator on the demonstration plots.