Powell River Project
Reclamation Guidelines
for Surface-Mined Land in Southwest Virginia

Constructing Wetlands During Reclamation to Improve Wildlife Habitat

Authors: Robert B. Atkinson, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Biology; Carl E. Zipper, Extension Specialist, Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, and Associate Director, Powell River Project; W. Lee Daniels, Associate Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences; John Cairns, Jr., University Distinguished Professor, Department of Biology, Virginia Tech

Publication Number 460-123, Posted June 1997

Table 1. Listing of amphibian, reptile, and mammal species observed at various sites in Wise County, Virginia, during the summers of 1994 and 1995.

  Reference
Sites1		Accidental
Wetlands2		Constructed
Wetlands3		Reclaimed
Uplands4
Amphibians
Red spotted newt X X   X
Spotted salamander X X   
Seal salamander   X   
Long-tailed salamander   X   
Northern red salamander X   
Green frog XXX 
Northern leopard frog  X  
Pickeral frog   X 
Fowler's toad   X 
Spring peeper XXX 
Crayfish X X   
Reptiles
Northern black racer X X   
Northern water snake   X X 
Timber rattlesnake   X   
Eastern box turtle X   X
Snapping turtle   X   
Mammals
Southern red-backed vole   X   
Meadow vole X XX
Woodland vole X X   X
Masked shrew X X X X
Northern Short-tailed shrew X X X X
Least shrew X   
Pygmy shrew X   
Smoky shrew X X X X
Woodland jumping mouse X   
White-footed mouse X X X X
Deer mouse X   
Eastern cottontail   X X X
Raccoon X X X 
Opossum X X X X
Groundhog   X   
Skunk X X   
Beaver   X   
Muskrat   X   
Red fox   X X X
Gray fox   X X X
Black bear   X   
Coyote X   
White tailed deer X X X X

Notes:
1. Intermittant stream channels in undisturbed forest adjacent to reclaimed mines.
2. Wetland areas occurring on pre-1977 reclaimed mine sites.
3. Wetlands constructed by mine operators during mine reclamation in summer 1992 and spring 1993.
4. Reclaimed mine areas that do not contain any apparent water catchments or conveyances.

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