Welcome to the California Department of Conservation
OMR

Mine Reclamation - Home 

About Us

The Office of Mine Reclamation (OMR)

Created in 1991 to administer the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA). Established to meet the Act's requirement, OMR provides assistance to cities, counties, state agencies and mine operators for reclamation planning and promotes cost-effective reclamation. OMR strives to reclaim mined lands to a beneficial end-use through the implementation of SMARA, prevent or minimize the adverse environmental effects of mining by providing assistance to lead agencies and miners in the review of reclamation plans, and minimize residual hazards to public health and safety through the Abandoned Mine Lands program.

Reclamation Unit

A skilled team of professional geologists and botanists assist mine operators to ensure that their mined land will be returned to a useable form.

Reporting, Compliance, and Review Unit

A team of analysts and professional geologists monitor mining operations for compliance with the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act.

Abandoned Mine Lands Unit

A small team of professional geologists, environmental scientists and geographic information systems (GIS) specialists compile a statewide database of abandoned mines. Working with local, regional, state and federal partners, the AMLU remediates public safety hazards posed by abandoned mines. In addition, the AMLU hosts the California Abandoned Mine Lands Forum.

 

 

Notices / Publications

What's New

 

Legislation amends the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA)

Effective January 1, 2012 Senate Bill 108 amendments revise the definition of “idle;” adjust the period of time an interim management plan can remain in effect; allow a mine operator to correct misreported annual reports; and allow certain mining operations, that are by definition considered abandoned, to be returned to idle status.  To read a copy of the letter describing the process click here, to see a flow chart of the process click here. To view the SB 108 Frequently Asked Questions click here.

OMR's Mines On Line (MOL)  

Senate Bill 110 requires OMR to provide mine information to the public, as reported, by January 1, 2012.  MOL is a map, designed with geographic information system (GIS) features, that will provide the mine name, location, commodity sold, and if the mine is active.  To see the map, click here.

What's happening in Abandoned Mine Lands? 

Since 2002, the AMLU has remediated hundreds of hazardous abandoned mine features.  To learn more about the AMLU, click here.  For information on the next meeting of the California Abandoned Mine Lands Forum, click here. 

Report Suspected Illegal Mining

You can now report suspected illegal mining at the Department of Conservation, Office of Mine Reclamation (OMR) website.  OMR has added a new link on our main page for reporting suspected illegal mine operations.  This link is located in the"Quick Hits" section, on the left hand side of the main page.  For more information, click here.

What's happening in Reclamation?

The process of reclamation includes maintaining water and air quality, minimizing flooding, erosion and damage to wildlife and aquatic habitats caused by surface mining.  The final step in this process is often topsoil replacement and revegetation with suitable plant species. Click here for more information.

What's new in Reporting and Compliance?

The Reporting and Compliance Unit (RCU) reviews annual reports submitted by mine operations and annual inspections submitted by lead agencies. The RCU monitors mining operations for compliance with the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA). For more information, click here.