Water Reservoirs as an Element of Shaping Water Resources of Post-Mining Areas

The aim of the study was to present the concepts of water reclamation and development of post-mining areas of the Adamów Lignite Mine following the termination of its excavating operation. The reclamation procedures will accelerate the process of restoring the devastated post-mining area to the natural environment and, above all, will contribute to the increase in local water resources. Several water reservoirs with different surface areas and capacities within the final excavations of opencasts were created. The reservoirs are used for water retention, recreation, melioration and flood control purposes, as well as for depositing overburden from other opencast excavations. In total, the construction of 5 water reservoirs will include 4 weirs, 7 monks and 3 culverts with damming as well as a number of kilometres of inflow and outflow channels. The schedule of works and expenditures of the investment amounts to PLN 14,509,512 and is divided into 5 stages, not only covering the construction of the reservoirs, but also the water and drainage infrastructure necessary for their proper operation. All constructed and planned water reservoirs (Przykona, Janiszew, Koźmin, Głowy, Adamów, Koźmin Końcowy and Władysławów) will become new permanent elements of the landscape and the hydrographic network, coupled with the catchment system of the Warta River. They will allow for an increase in the retention capacity of the Adamów Lignite Mine area from the previous 32.3 million m3 to 219.6 million m3 in the perspective of 2023. They will improve the microclimate of post-mining areas and have a positive impact on the lands created as a result of reclamation. They will provide retention for the irrigation of adjacent agricultural areas and help reduce the economic and natural losses caused by flooding. They will open recreational opportunities for the residents of the surrounding areas, characterized by water shortages. The post-mining reservoirs, formed during mining operations, fit perfectly into the Small Retention Program. The existing and planned water bodies are the best proof confirming that the decisions taken in the field of reclamation for water purposes were right. As practice shows, the landscape shaping during the exploitation of lignite is a great opportunity for the post-mining region to create reservoirs in the places where they do not occur in nature.