Photos of the Project

StoryMap of the Project

SUMMARY OF WORK

The Swastika Mine and Dutchman Canyon Maintenance and Stream Restoration Project is located about 4.5 miles northwest of Raton in Colfax County, New Mexico. The project area is on private land within the Maxwell Land Grant (LATITUDE: 36°55’13.8″N LONGITUDE: 104°29’30.2″W).

The AML Program, in partnership with Vermejo Park Ranch (Ranch), has completed efforts and is continuing work to mitigate the effects of legacy coal mining on land and water resources at the Swastika Mine Reclamation site. As part of this effort, AML completed work in 2012 to:

1. Stabilize and reclaim an extensive series of steep and actively eroding coal gob piles within Dillon Canyon using geomorphic approaches to create a restored landform;

2. Restore a straightened and deeply incised section of stream channel adjacent to the gob piles Recent flooding in the canyon has caused project wide erosion to restored elements including gullying of swales and channels constructed as part of the upland landform restoration and down-cutting, scour, and lateral migration of the constructed stream channel.

Based on the inventory and post-flood analysis completed for the project, a set of site-specific practices were developed that could be used to mitigate flood damage that occurred in the canyon after the completion of the 2012 project. This “restoration toolbox” includes measures that, implemented holistically, could help to enhance water quality, improve stream stability and function, and expand wetland and riparian habitat.