Members of the LIFE RIBERMINE team from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and the Centro Ciência Viva do Lousal (CCVLousal), involved in the LIFE RIBERMINE project, were present in the future intervention area of Mina do Lousal (municipality of Grândola), in the past days 26th and 27th of August, in order to analyze and defining several practical aspects of the preparatory works for the implementation of the Lousal PPLousal. The beginning of these ecological restoration works, based on geomorphological principles, is scheduled for the last fortnight of September 2021, and should be completed by the end of the same year.
PPLousal falls within the broader scope of the LIFE RIBERMINE Project, with a specific focus on correcting the quality of water and ecosystems affected by Acid Mining Drainage (AMD) – resulting from the metallic mining of pyrites, which generates residues that oxidize and cause the release of acidic leachates with high concentrations of dissolved metals-, highly polluting for the environment and compromising the quality of water and natural habitats in the region. PPLousal proposes to mitigate these types of impacts by applying the Best Available Techniques (BAT) of ecological restoration, including land moving and geomorphological remodeling GeoFluvTM, the creation of soil layers through an edaphic amendment composed of organic matter, vegetal soil and calcareous materials (to raise the pH), and, the revegetation with native plants of this geographic area. This intervention and its results will also serve for practical demonstration and dissemination of applied the BAT.

During the 26th, the UCM elements met with members of the CCVLousal staff and were in the field, having discussed in situ, practical aspects of logistical, budgetary, and acquisition of materials, essential for the development of the PPLousal. A visit to a nearby quarry was also carried out, with a view to selecting limestone materials to be used in the edaphic amendment.
During the 27th, a hired team of topographers was also in the field, with the purpose of carrying out a topographic survey of the Lousal intervention area, essential for obtaining the Digital Terrain Model and future geomorphological reconfiguration.
These were very fruitful days of work, the entire work team is very satisfied and looking forward to the start of the PPLousal works, which will contribute to the requalification and improvement of the environmental quality of this former mine!

Field work to recognize the current conditions of the land and in situ delimitation of the area of the “Lousal Pilot Project” (August 26th).

Team visit to a limestone quarry, located in the region, to choose the materials to be used in the soil reconstruction and edaphic correction tasks (August 26th).

Members of the Spanish team (Maria Tejedor, Ramón Sanchez and José Francisco Duque – Complutense University of Madrid) and Portuguese (Mónica Martins – CCVLousal), next to the future intervention area in Lousal (August 26th).

Topographic survey using a drone for geomorphological remodeling GeoFluvTM.

Land marking for topographic survey (August 27th).