| Abstract: | A recently developed rainfall simulator was used to apply ‘rainstorms’ on restored spoils areas at two coal mining sites in Wyoming. Runoff and sediment yield were considerably greater from the reworked areas compared to similar measurements on nearby undisturbed areas. This may possibly be attributed to the fact that in the disturbed areas mean slopes were generally greater, there was more clay at the surface, and concentration of roots was not as great as in the undisturbed areas. The rainfall simulator appears to be a valuable tool in determining baseline data for later comparison with data form areas under rehabilitation. |
