BUREAU OF GEOLOGY


 Peatland Reclamation in North Carolina

 North Carolina contains an estimated 1,000 square miles of peatlands
(640,000 acres). The peat is usually black, fine-grained and highly
decomposed with ash contents that are often less than five percent, low
sulfur contents and high heating values (Ingram and Otte, 1980). This
peat occurs in three major geologic settings: 1) pocosins, which are
broad, shallow depressions characterized by peats varying from one to
eight feet in thickness, 2) river flood plains which are of unknown extent
but contain peats which may attain thicknesses of 25 feet, and 3) Caro-
lina Bays which are elliptical depressions of unknown origin. The 500 to
600 Carolina Bays sometimes contain high quality peats up to 15 feet in
depth (Ingram and Otte, 1980).
 In April of 1983, the U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corporation approved a loan
of $820,750 for the First Colony peat-to-methanol project in North Caro-
lina. The 15,000 acre site is expected to supply peat for methanol con-
version for 30 years (Robinson, et al., 1983).
 Peat Methanol Associates (PMA) is the group planning to construct
and operate North Carolina's synthetic fuel plant. It is believed by PMA,
based on their studies of the peat deposits and ground water conditions,
that natural drainage will be adequate to return the land to agricultural
use. PMA also plans a land restoration program which will include tree
and vegetation planting to provide wildlife refuge and nesting areas
(PMA Update, February 1983).
 In response to the major peatland development proposed by Peat
Methanol Associates, the state of North Carolina created a Peat Mining
Task Force in December 1980. An initial report was issued in March
1981. The task force was reconvened in June 1983, as interest in the
state's peatlands escalated. The original recommendations of the task
force were reviewed, updated and published in January 1983 (North
Carolina DNRCD, 1983).
 The sixteen member task force was drawn from all divisions within the
Department of Natural Resources and Community Development which
were involved with peat mining. The task force reviewed peat mining and
its impacts on the state's natural resources. It also reviewed the ability of
the state's management program for peat mining to deal with potential
impacts (North Carolina DNRCD, 1983).
 Reclamation methods are categorized as "wet reclamation" or "per-
petual pumping". Constant pumping may be required to maintain land
dry enough for certain uses. Intensive agriculture is believed to be the
only use which can financially justify the continual pumping (North Caro-
lina DNRCD, 1983).
 Wet reclamation includes all forms of reclamation which could perma-
nently or periodically cause the reclaimed area to be under salt or fresh
water. Uses which are included comprise paddy culture, reversion to
swamp forest or pocosin, reservoirs, aquaculture of fish or shell fish,
artifically-created nursery areas, waterfowl impoundments, marinas and