SILURIAN ERA 300 MILLION BC
ILLINOIS GLACIAL PERIOD 12,000 BC 1970 ’s Indiana State Law passes the requiring mines
1931 Sullivan County, IN placed under
to replace spoils with down slope being no higher than original contour
Glacial rivers carved out the Wabash River from limestone bedrock
Siliurian Era establishment of vascular plants and land creatures
1883 “Rich Woods” in Crawford County,
100 Million Tons 100,000 Miners
1930 ’s Civilian Conservation Corps
began taking interest in remediating mining sites
1965 Hawthorn Coal began operation on largest pit: 3 draglines 250 workers 22,000 acres
50 50,000
1923 Steam Shovels introduced to mining practice
COAL PROSPECTING
Little Giant, 1931 29 men die in coal mine disaster
Number of Illinois Coal Miners
Annual IL Coal Production Million Tons
martial law as the result of striking miners
CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGY
1903 First acerage sold for the purpose of mining
was once called the “Barrens” due to prairie fire
21 acres for $600.00 not mined in 1989
10
10,000
1890-1900 Shells used for buttons
1908 Erosion and deforestation power mills for
industry, erosion have degraded the water quality
2,000
C OA L D E P O S I T S
50
years is the potential lifespan of freshwater
the Monocasy, full of fish”
1815 “First rate lands lie on the Wabash all the way to the lakes on the most beautiful stream..the water is perfectly clear and transparent”
1845 “Clear rushing streams”
those of the Illinois and Kasakia, commonly brown and opaque with suspended silt”
19 9
Fe
690 TONS $1,6-3.0 MILLION
Mg 1983 25% reduction in....agricultural loadings
Ca
Mn
4,200
1920 “The waters of the Wabash are, like
0
0
SO4
MUSSEL PROSPECTING
TO NS O F M USSEL S ( I N)
1792 “The Wabash is as clear as
19 8
0 19 7
0 19 6
0 19 5
0 19 4
0 19 3
0 19 2
191 0
0 19 0
0 18 9
18 80
18 70
18 60
1,080
pre
18 5
0
250
Al
1945 “Northern reaches of Wabash clear Southern reaches turbid, cloudy”