Abstract
The Opportunity Ponds Wetland is a 550 acre wetland creation located three miles east of Anaconda Montana. In 2009 the first 220 acres of wetland planting was completed. Careful design, excavation and site shaping, along with diligent quality assurance and highly professional contractors have resulted in exceptional plant establishment.
The site was historically used as a repository for tailings from the smelting of copper ore. Remediation of the tailings facility is being conducted by capping the tailings ponds with soil material obtained from nearby borrow areas. The depleted borrow areas that were used to develop soil materials are being developed as wetlands. When complete an estimated 550 acres of wetland area will be created on the site. Natural appearing features are being shaped for each wetland area and cover soils are being applied.
The goal is to restore the site to functional vegetation communities that reflect natural wetland habitats in the Upper Clark Fork River (UCFR) Basin. Seeding and planting plans correlate to the topographic gradient and hydrologic regime that has been established. The plants in the vegetation list are species observed within native wetland areas close to the site. Communities are arranged in “planting zones” from upland to open water. Wetland seed was collected from the UCFR Basin and plants are custom grown from that seed. Stringent specifications for plant production and installation were developed and oversight of planting activities is on-going.
Start Date
5-3-2010 2:00 PM
End Date
5-3-2010 2:30 PM
Document Type
Presentation
Ponds Wetland Construction and Revegetation
The Opportunity Ponds Wetland is a 550 acre wetland creation located three miles east of Anaconda Montana. In 2009 the first 220 acres of wetland planting was completed. Careful design, excavation and site shaping, along with diligent quality assurance and highly professional contractors have resulted in exceptional plant establishment.
The site was historically used as a repository for tailings from the smelting of copper ore. Remediation of the tailings facility is being conducted by capping the tailings ponds with soil material obtained from nearby borrow areas. The depleted borrow areas that were used to develop soil materials are being developed as wetlands. When complete an estimated 550 acres of wetland area will be created on the site. Natural appearing features are being shaped for each wetland area and cover soils are being applied.
The goal is to restore the site to functional vegetation communities that reflect natural wetland habitats in the Upper Clark Fork River (UCFR) Basin. Seeding and planting plans correlate to the topographic gradient and hydrologic regime that has been established. The plants in the vegetation list are species observed within native wetland areas close to the site. Communities are arranged in “planting zones” from upland to open water. Wetland seed was collected from the UCFR Basin and plants are custom grown from that seed. Stringent specifications for plant production and installation were developed and oversight of planting activities is on-going.