The erosion study was designed to examine the effects of the regraded configuration (i.e. slope angle, slope length), waste material characteristics, age since reclamation, amount of precipitation, and vegetative cover on the
amount of surface erosion occurring on the resloped faces of the waste dumps.
Over the two-year time period that erosion was measured, the total amount of erosion on most slopes was minimal. This minimal amount of erosion, therefore, made it difficult to establish models or trends of the influence of contributing factors on erosion itself. In general, the most reliable and dramatic results were obtained from the one slope which was monitored as soon as reclamation was completed.
As expected, the slopes which were covered with dense grasses <slope I at Smoky River and slope 3 at Tent Mountain) showed no signs of erosion whatever. The other slopes were developing strong stands of cover, to the point of making erosion board readings difficult. It is expected that thick mats of vegetation will soon prevent any sheet erosion from occurring at all.