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Hard Rock Quarry Reclamation

Resident Grading

A frustrated quarry operator looked to a GeoFluv design solution to lower construction and maintenance costs from repeated failures of traditional terrace, berm, and down-drain reclamation. One side of the ridge-top quarry drained to waters on state lands, while the other side drained to waters on federal lands. All parties wanted a functional and sustainable solution.

An example of a failed traditional design using geotextile and rip-rap downdrains for which a GeoFluv design provided a low-cost, functional, and sustainable solution. (Image courtesy of Water & Earth Technologies, Fort Collins, CO.)

GeoFluv Cut/Fill

This 33 acre (13.3 hectare) GeoFluv design was made to remedy the repeated failures of traditional terrace, berm, and down-drain reclamation. An additional challenge was that only minimal backfill material was available, since the site was a hard-rock quarry, and that necessitated that the GeoFluv design be constructed entirely of fill, i.e., no cut surfaces!

(Image courtesy of Water & Earth Technologies, Fort Collins, CO.)

The light-colored area in the background is representative of the post-mining surface and the dark area is two and one-half of six GeoFluv subwatersheds that comprise the design as they appeared about 90 percent through construction (the linear features are not part of the final design). The partially-completed site received three consecutive days of heavy rains immediately before this image was taken and did not present any erosion problems.

The immediate project cost was 37 percent less than would have been required using the traditional methods that the site was familiar with. The project was completed only three months after the consultant was invited to prepare a proposal.