Above photos of an abandoned site shows how the soil is left barren and exposed. Erosion causes deep gulleys to be formed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After filling in the gullys, adding topsoil, fertilizer and grass seed, the site is mulched and pinned to prevent further erosion and encourage vegetation.

 

 

Beidleman Oil Damaged Site:

 

 

Abandoned Oil Field and Mine Land Reclamations

Okmulgee County has over 3,000 acres of land that have been damaged by past oil field or mining operations. These areas are now only unsightly, but they are unproductive and are a threat to water quality. The opertions that created these situations were carried out prior to current laws that regulate reclamation and management of such areas. Most of the sites have remained unreclaimed over the years because landowners didn't have the resources to fix them.

Background of Reclamation Work

Amendments to Oklahoma's Solid Waste Management Act, passed in 1996 made possible a partnership between the Department of Environmental Quality, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and conservation districts, and the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board. This legislation, along with new and existing funding, also facilitated the use of organic waste material in the reclamation of these damaged lands in Okmulgee County and other counties.

The agencies work together with landowners to shape the areas, establish erosion control measures, apply organic matter such as bio-solids, and other soil amendments and revegetate them.

First to Participate

The Okmulgee County Conservation District was the first agency to enter into a contract with DEQ to participate in this program. The District constructs fences, applies organic matter, plants and applies molch to the project areas. Since that first contract in 1997 the district has assisted with the reclamation of 45 sites encompassing 210 acres on oil-field damaged land. Coordinating with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission's Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, the district also assisted on 18 tract covering 731 acres of abandoned coal mine land. The district continues to help in reclamation of about 20 acres of damaged land per year.

 

 

 

 

 

Salt scars left this field vulnerable to wind and water erosion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Oil Damaged Site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concrete left behind was buried. Topsoil was moved to fill in the gully, the site was sown with bermuda seed to revegetate.