![]() ![]() Potentially critical non-conventional water sources include flooded mine-pit lakes. 1996 Nordstrom 2011).Īs surface water resources become more intensely used, and occasionally non-useable, consideration of non-conventional water resources for anthropogenic use has become more prevalent. 2009 McCullough and Lund 2006 Miller et al. 2015 Karanthasis and Johnson 2003 Khan et al. However, mining-influenced water can be associated with concentrations of potentially toxic elements which may be of concern in areas of use (Doupe' and Lymbery 2005 Gerdol et al. , 2021, and sources of potable water (APUC 2021 VPUC 2020). , 1996McNaughton and Lee 2004), recreational and industrial uses (McCullough and Lund 2006), irrigation of some crops (Annandale et al. 2022) including aquaculture (Axler et al. 2020 Doupe' and Lymbery 2005 Gunson et al. As such, strategies are being developed to identify beneficial mining-influenced water use and reuse opportunities (Apostu et al. Mining activities throughout the world influence water quality even as water shortages become increasingly more common in many locations (Miller 2006 Northey et al. The article presents the innovative concept of the possibility of using water from quarry lakes in agriculture, based on their quantity and quality and the requirements for the purpose for which they will be used, e.g., for agricultural irrigation. The volume of the water retained in the analysed quarry lakes constitutes an important element of the total balance of water retained in all the reservoirs, ponds, and all Strzelin quarry lakes situated in the catchment of the Oława River, accounting for 10.6% of the total volume of retained water. Water from the analysed quarry lakes met (with some minor limitations) the requirements that enable them to be used for agricultural irrigation. The concentrations of water quality indicators that were recorded for the analysed Strzelin quarry lakes were similar to those observed in natural lakes and uncharged water bodies. The mean concentrations of ions had the following values: nitrates-0.91 mgN-NO3−/L sulphates-176.3 mg SO42−/L chlorides-36.56 mg Cl−/L sodium ions-14.8 mg Na+/L calcium-41.3 mg Ca2+/L magnesium-7.48 mg Mg2+/L manganese-0.1 mg Mn/L and iron-0.01 mg Fe/L. The average values of water quality indicators were as follows: electrical conductivity-0.332 mS × cm−1 sodium adsorption ratio-0.56 total dissolved solids-212.4 mg/L water pH-7.8 BOD5-2.4 mgO2/L. At the same time, the total volume of the retained water amounted to 307.8 thousand m3, which accounts for 10.6% of the retention capacity of water reservoirs situated in the catchment of the Oława River. ![]() The average surface area of the analysed quarry lakes was 0.99 ha, the average depth was 6.0 m, and the maximum depth was 14.3 m. The usability of water in quarry lakes for agricultural irrigation was also assessed, based on the FAO Guidelines and the PN-84/C-04635 standard. This paper presents the results of bathymetric measurements of quarry lakes located in inactive granite quarries (Poland, Lower Silesia, County Strzelin), which were used, among other reasons, to determine the surface area, depth, and volume of water retained in the analysed quarry lakes. ![]() Recommendations are given for all stages of mine closure planning to prevent pit lake abandonment and to achieve successful pit lake closure with beneficial end uses. Common attributes and reasons that led to successful repurposing of abandoned pit lakes as beneficial end uses are discussed. Many end uses have been realized: passive and active recreation, nature conservation, fishery and aquaculture, drinking and industrial water storage, greenhouse carbon fixation, flood protection and waterway remediation, disposal of mine and other waste, mine water treatment and containment, and education and research. Beneficial end use type and outcome varied depending upon climate and commodity, but equally important were social and political dynamics that manifest as mining company commitments or regulatory requirements. We reviewed published pit lake repurposing case studies of abandoned mine pit lakes. Unfortunately, many pit lakes have continued to be abandoned without repurposing for an end use. These opportunities are widely dependent on water quality, slope stability, and safety issues. However, depending upon certain characteristics of which water quality is key, pit lakes often also present opportunities to provide significant regional benefit and address residual closure risks of both their own and overall project closure and even offset the environmental costs of mining by creating new end uses. Pit lakes can represent significant liabilities at mine closure.
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