EM’s Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project and the National Park Service continue to find ways to help each other in a growing partnership that has improved local revegetation efforts.
Office of Environmental Management
March 23, 2021
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MOAB, Utah – EM’s Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project and the National Park Service continue to find ways to help each other in a growing partnership that has improved local revegetation efforts.
Arches National Park recently delivered excess soil to the Moab Site that came from an area near one of the park’s most iconic landmarks.
During large storms, sediment close to the popular Delicate Arch tended to wash onto the road, preventing tourists and others from getting through. Park staff dug out a nearby drainage so material could flow properly, but they needed to figure out what to do with the extra material.
Moab’s revegetation staff offered to take eight dump trucks full of the park’s dirt. It was a convenient arrangement, as the Moab Site is located across the highway from Arches.
Moab staff members plan to mix the transferred material with soils onsite that have a high clay and salt content and struggle to support plant growth. The new material is expected to boost soil quality and texture by diluting salinity and improving drainage.
“It’s great to work with our neighbors on projects with mutual benefit,” Moab UMTRA Project Revegetation Technician Katrina Lund said. “We’re excited to see how this fill dirt can help improve soil conditions onsite.”
In the future, Moab staff will consider planting Inland saltgrass in the areas where the fill dirt was added. The native perennial can withstand drought and flood and help stabilize the soil, aiding with dust suppression.
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