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Mr. Nicholas Bugosh and Representative Madalena receive the 2011 New Mexico Earth Science Achievement Award

Nicholas Bugosh received the award for his pioneering contributions to geomorphic reclamation. Initially developed in New Mexico and now being adopted throughout the world, geomorphic reclamation is the process of constructing watersheds on disturbed lands that simulate the relatively stable topography that the erosive forces of nature would eventually form over a very long time.

The approximation of natural drainage patterns reduces erosion and sedimentation by creating shorter slopes with correct profiles, and improves the conditions for re-vegetation.

Mr. Bugosh is currently the principal of Geofluv, Inc., which provides worldwide geomorphic reclamation training and design services. His training in geology and hydrology includes a B.S. in Geology and an M.S. in Earth Sciences.

Gaining access to Seam 1 at Panel 5, Sundance Pit, in 2001

“Bravo San Juan Coal Company,” stated Joanna Prukop, Cabinet Secretary for New Mexico Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department. “Their work to restore the contours of the land to its natural state enhances wildlife habitat and helps control erosion and sediment.”

San Juan Coal Company’s reclamation efforts provide for long-term stability and topographic diversity. The
geomorphic-based reclamation creates stable, maintenance-free landforms. In addition, improved topographic diversity enhances wildlife habitat by creating windbreaks and security areas

The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department nominated the reclamation work at La Plata Mine. Their nomination was one of four mines nationwide to receive this honor. They received the award last week at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Topdressing lay-down underway at Panel 5 high wall reclamation, Sundance Pit, in 2008

Since 1986, the Office of Surface Mining has presented awards to coal mine operators who have completed exemplary reclamation. A similar program for abandoned mine land reclamation began in 1992. The objective of the active mine reclamation awards is to showcase the nation’s highest achievement in environmentally sound surface mining and land reclamation and to encourage the exchange of successful reclamation techniques.

http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us

The state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department nominated the reclamation work at La Plata Mine. Their nomination was one of four mines nationwide to receive the honor.

Since 1986, the Interior Department’s Office of Surface Mining has presented awards to coal mine operators who have completed exemplary reclamation. A similar program for abandoned mine land reclamation began in 1992.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

http://www.khl.com/magazines/construction-europe/detail/item30742/

While used extensively by mining companies, Carlson Natural Regrade gives all faced with disturbed lands an affordable and natural way to achieve sustainability. The software features the GeoFluv approach to stable landform design, using fluvial geomorphic principles – essentially designing the land to be as it would have naturally formed on that site over thousands of years. With Carlson Natural Regrade, the natural beauty of the reclaimed land is returned, while stability against erosion is established and the water quality remains comparable or better than surrounding undisturbed lands.

Both Martin Duque and his colleague in Ecological Restoration, José Manuel Nicolau Ibarra, who is at the University of Zaragoza (Campus de Huesca), see many applications beyond mined land reclamation for Natural Regrade, including wetlands restoration and sediment control from highway projects.

“We have been asked to find alternative methods to minimize erosion and sedimentation from highway road cuts,” says Martin Duque, “and the design speed offered by the Natural Regrade software will help us find stable, economical alternatives that are in harmony with natural processes; this is the key to sustainability in ecological restoration.”

The universities have students engaged in sedimentation studies on disturbed lands to document the effectiveness of fluvial geomorphic designs as compared with traditional designs that are characterized by constant-gradient slopes, terraces and down-drains. Martin Duque and Nicolau Ibarra intend to use these kinds of studies to verify the effectiveness of the GeoFluv method as used in Natural Regrade.

Martin Duque has shown that slope profiles that are made according to fluvial geomorphic principles, mimicking natural slopes, provide a low-cost means to stabilize steep disturbed slopes against erosive forces. His work has recognized the need to combine the upland slopes with an integrated drainage network.

“This integrated upland and drainage network is exactly what the GeoFluv method provides and the Natural Regrade design software greatly simplifies the making of these complex designs,” says Martin Duque. There are annually more than 800 students from Europe and South America applying for the 35 seats in the Ecological Restoration Master class. Those enrolled in January 2010 will be the first to learn to use the GeoFluv method with Natural Regrade.

Nicholas Bugosh, developer of the GeoFluv method and GeoFluv Technical Director for Carlson Software, recently gave a lecture at the University Complutense entitled, “The Landform is the Foundation of Ecological Restoration, (How the new GeoFluv landform design method promotes sustainability).”

Students and interested university lecturers and industrial developers attended the event, which was sponsored by the Ecological Restoration postgraduate program and the Faculty of Geology of the Complutense University.

For more information about Carlson Natural Regrade and GeoFluv, a new technology for stable landform design, contact Bugosh directly at nbugosh@carlsonsw.com or 970.631.4190.

About Carlson Software.

Founded in 1983, Carlson Software develops technically advanced software solutions to bring land development professionals from concept to completion. The independent, privately owned company produces comprehensive civil, surveying, machine control and positioning, mining, and law enforcement investigative software solutions. Its free technical support and dedication to customer service is unique in the industry. Carlson Software is headquartered in Maysville, Ky., with branch offices in Boston and Queensland, Australia.

This project compared waste dump landform design outputs using (a) existing landform guidelines; (b) the Water Erosion Prediction Program (WEPP) runoff and erosion model; and (c) dedicated landform design software (Geofluv). The three landform design approaches were applied at two mine sites in the NSW Hunter coalfield, for landforms sheeted with local topsoil. Landforms developed using the three design methods were then assessed for erosion risk using the SIBERIA landform evolution model, with the impacts of varying vegetation cover for each landform design also being evaluated to assess the importance of cover in ensuring the stability of the designed waste dumps.

This report was published in May 2010 and is available from the ACARP web site