Vegetation, soil, and horizontal mass flux data from the Well Pad Reclamation and Research field trials in the Uinta Basin, Utah and the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action field trials near Moab, Utah

These data were compiled for the Well Pad Reclamation and Research (WPRR) project in the Uinta Basin, Utah and related experiments conducted at the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) project near Moab, Utah. WPRR is a collaborative and co-production of science set of experiments in the Uinta Basin that includes the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Bureau of Land Management Vernal Field Office, the US Fish and Wildlife Service Utah Ecological Services Field Office, and oil and gas operators and contractors. The goal of the WPRR collaboration is to develop timely and actionable information to support successful reclamation in the Uinta Basin. These data represent soil, vegetation, and horizontal mass flux (dust) outcomes from a series of experiments installed on reclaimed oil or gas well pads. There are two types of studies at the WPRR sites. The large-scale experiments include fewer large (16x16 meter[m]) plots with treatments implemented using heavy equipment. The small-scale studies have many small (2 by 2 m) plots where a multitude of treatments were tested. Treatments tested include creating surface roughness with hummocks, drill seeding on flat terrain, mulch, compost, treating or removing weeds, inoculating soils with biocrust or fresh topsoil, various seed mixes, and other amendments or treatments. The UMTRA project is a collaborative reclamation experiment between the USGS, Department of Energy (DOE), and the DOE revegetation contractor (S&K Mission Support, LLC). UMTRA is the site of the former Atlas uranium mill that is in the process of remediation and reclamation by the DOE. The USGS experiments were established in areas near the Colorado River where contaminated soils had been removed. Prior to application of experimental treatments, trash was removed and the sites were leveled. The UMTRA study only include small scale (2x2 m) treatments but includes a broader range of experimental factors, including mowing, fertilizers, and irrigation. The UMTRA study includes two adjoining sites that differ slightly in soil salinity and the study design includes a complete randomized block design with 4 replicates (blocks) at each of the sites. At UMTRA, irrigation water was available so most experimental factors were implemented with and without supplemental watering. Data were collected between 2019 and 2024. Vegetation and soil data were collected during annual sampling in June and July. WPRR dust samples were collected seasonally (three to four times) each year. There is a total of eight study sites across the Uinta Basin (Duchesne and Uintah counties, Utah). These data were collected by the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center with assistance from WPRR collaborators, students, and others using field observations and laboratory measurements. The data can be used to represent the environmental condition following application of the described reclamation tactics at the time of collection and the elapsed time between when experiments were installed and when data were collected.