Secretary Naig Announces Next Round of Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Projects in Southeast Iowa 10-20-2026
Projects continue Iowa’s work to improve water quality and return abandoned mine lands to productive use
DES MOINES, Iowa (Oct. 20, 2026) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has begun construction on four new abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation projects in Mahaska and Marion Counties. The four projects encompass approximately 150 acres and represent nearly $4.9 million in new water quality and soil conservation work.
The new projects are in addition to significant AML activity already underway across southern Iowa. Nine other projects are currently under construction, while an additional 21 sites are in various stages of design and planning.
“Abandoned mine reclamation is an important part of our work to improve water quality and soil health,” said Secretary Naig. “We’re taking land that was once hazardous and making it productive again. These projects make a lasting difference for the land, water and communities where this work is taking place. For more than four decades, our team and partners have been steadily reclaiming abandoned mine lands across southern Iowa. We’ve made tremendous progress, but there is still important work ahead as we continue to move these projects forward.”
Iowa has approximately 13,000 acres of abandoned surface coal mines, primarily in southern and southeast Iowa. These lands can include dangerous piles and embankments, high walls, pit ponds, clogged streams and bare acidic soils. For more than four decades, the Department has worked to address these hazards, improve water quality and soil health, and return the land to productive agricultural, conservation and recreational uses. To date, the Department has reclaimed 7,195 acres, with a total investment of nearly $117 million. Iowa’s Abandoned Mine Land program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), with approximately $8.44 million coming to Iowa this year to support ongoing reclamation efforts.
Iowa is a national leader in AML reclamation, with the Department’s work earning multiple national awards over the years. Most recently, the Department’s Mines and Minerals Bureau received the 2026 Interior States Region Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award for the BOS AML Reclamation Project in Wapello County. The 34.6-acre project improved water quality in Bear Creek, treated nearly 5 million gallons of acidic impounded water and restored formerly mined land to productive agricultural use.
New abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Projects awarded in 2026:
Memmelaar West
Location: Mahaska County
Construction Bid Awarded: September 2026
Anticipated Completion: December 2027
Approximate Cost: $469,292
Approximate Size: 9 acres
Partners: Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), OSMRE, Mahaska County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), JNC Construction LLC, private landowners
Paul Todd
Location: Marion County
Construction Bid Awarded: September 2026
Anticipated Completion: December 2027
Approximate Cost: $1,038,691
Approximate Size: 36 acres
Partners: Shive-Hattery, Inc., Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), OSMRE, Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Nail Excavating LLC, Marion County Conservation Board, private landowners
Wilcox East
Noah
(Adjoining projects bid as one construction package)
Location: Marion County
Construction Bid Awarded: September 2026
Anticipated Completion: December 2027
Approximate Cost: $3,395,376
Approximate Size: 105 acres
Partners: Shive-Hattery, Inc., Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), OSMRE, Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Cornerstone Excavation LLC, Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Marion County Conservation Board, private landowners
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