GLENROCK, Wyo. — PacifiCorp affiliate Glenrock Coal Company is in the final stages of completing its historic reclamation of the Dave Johnston Mine. Before the year’s end, the land where mining facilities and equipment have existed for more than 40 years will be restored to its original state. Any remaining traces of the 104 million tons of coal extracted from beneath these reclaimed lands will disappear forever – thanks to the committed crew at Glenrock Coal Company.

Located about 20 miles northeast of Glenrock, the Dave Johnston Mine was Pacific Power’s first foray into Wyoming mining and was the second surface mine developed in the Powder River Basin, behind only the Wyodak Mine in Gillette. Pacific Power began its first serious exploration of the Dave Johnston coal field (originally called the Red Butte coal field) in 1955. After acquiring the necessary leases and permits, Pacific Power began development of the mine.

Coal production at the Dave Johnston Mine began in 1958, a few months prior to the start up of the first unit of the Dave Johnston Power Plant, located 15 miles to the south. The coal field and power plant were both named in honor of W.D. “Dave” Johnston, a former Pacific Power vice-president.

Coal was originally mined from two open-pit coal seams using scrapers and crawler tractors. These methods provided sufficient quantities of coal to supply the power plant’s fuel requirements for the first six years of operation. During this time, coal was hauled to the plant using 120-ton dump trucks. Rail transport would later replace the trucks and provide greater efficiency. 

Production at the Dave Johnston Mine began at a level of about 500,000 tons of coal annually. From 1959 to 1969, regional power requirements increased rapidly. To meet this demand, coal production at the mine expanded to an annual level of 1.5 million tons.

When the mine was first developed, it produced enough coal to fuel the Dave Johnston Power Plant’s two 110-megawatt units. When the plant added a 220-megawatt unit in 1964, production at the mine doubled as a result. Up to this point, trucks had driven the 15 miles to transport coal from the mine to the power plant. A railroad line was built on top of a dedicated haul road, replacing trucks and enabling smoother, more efficient transport of coal to the plant.

In 1971, a fourth unit capable of producing 330-megawatts was added to the power plant. In order to increase production to meet the additional demand for fuel, scrapers and crawler tractors were replaced as the primary overburden removal method by a Page 752 39-cubic yard dragline.

Production at the mine increased gradually with demand for electricity, peaking at around four million tons, in 1997.  Approximately 104 million tons of coal was recovered from the Dave Johnston Mine between 1958 and 2000.

By 1998, the Dave Johnston Mine’s 40-year life was nearing its end, and the impending closure of the mine was announced. Economic reserves from the mine were running out and the stripping depth of cover required to access remaining coal reserves was increasing coupled with inherent adverse geologic conditions and deteriorating coal quality.

Full-scale final reclamation efforts to restore the nearly 9 mile long (4,600 acre) stretch of land affected by mining began in 1999, although ongoing reclamation had already been taking place at the mine for years. Mountains of dirt have been moved, and miles of land have been re-seeded with native vegetation. Crews have successfully shaped topography and re-established major drainages in order to return the landscape to its pre-mining appearance and utility. More than 85 million yards of earth have been moved to accomplish this feat.

Providing long-term grazing land and habitat for livestock and wildlife has been a central part of reclamation efforts. Sagebrush and a variety of other shrubs have been planted to provide habitat and food sources for deer, antelope and sage grouse (a species that had been dwindling in numbers), as well as other wildlife. Reclamation efforts such as these have greatly encouraged the return of wildlife including birds, elk, deer, antelope, mountain lions, foxes, bobcats, rabbits and golden eagles.

In many cases, reclamation has not only restored the landscape but has also enhanced it. Prior to mining, there were very few indigenous trees along the arid landscape. There are now 35 to 40 well-established trees growing on the former mine site, many of which were planted more than 20 years ago. The cottonwood and ponderosa pines provide potential nesting sites for eagles and other large birds and cover for smaller species of birds.

Five man-made nesting platforms for eagles have been constructed, and two of the platforms are currently in use. More than 120 rock pile features, or “rabbitats,” have been formed to provide homes for rabbits and other small game.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits for wildlife is the addition of six springs or “weeps” located throughout the length of the mine. Restoration crews created a drainage system to capture water seeping from the former mine walls, providing a water supply for animals that have become dependent upon the availability of surface water from the mine.

Restoring the land at the Dave Johnston Mine site took a tremendous team effort from everyone at Glenrock Coal Company. Though the number of employees at the Dave Johnston Mine has been reduced from 178 to 50, as a result of the shift from mining to reclamation, many have stayed on to see the reclamation process through to completion.

Reclamation efforts at the Dave Johnston Mine site have been recognized by the state of Wyoming as well as nationally. In 2001, Glenrock Coal Company was awarded the State of Wyoming’s “Excellence in Surface Mining” award. Later that year, the company received an “Excellence in Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation” award from the Office of Surface Mining, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Even after reclamation work is completed in November, the former mine site will be closely monitored for the next ten years, until all of the affected land is released from Pacific Power’s reclamation performance bond. Reclamation of the Dave Johnston Mine is an ideal example of environmental stewardship in action, and will provide a template for future restoration of mine sites in Wyoming and beyond.

Media inquiries:newsdesk@PacifiCorp.com .