Effect of Coal Mining on Springs in the Yushenfu Mining Area of China

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of coal mining on the springs in the Yushenfu mining area of China. The results of two springs and hydrological surveys conducted in 1994 and 2015 were compared to study the occurrence and evolution of springs before and after large-scale mining. The mechanism of spring evolution and ecological effects of domain evolution were analyzed by combined groundwater monitoring and evaluation of coal mining intensity. The results show that the maximum amount of single water inflow of spring with sand infiltration recharge was more than 10 L/s, the total amount of single water inflow of spring with mixed infiltration recharge was the highest, and the ecological effect of spring with loess infiltration recharge was the most significant. In the study area, 2580 springs (group) were distributed with a total flow of 4998.9428 L/s before 1994 and 376 residual springs (group) were present with a total flow of 996.392 L/s in 2015. Large-scale mining decreased the regional groundwater level, thus decreasing the amount of spring water. The high intensity of mining decreased the number of springs (group) and area of water and wetland in the study area. This directly affected the watershed ecology; the ecological degradation was significant.