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Spatial data - Annual Reclamation Reports

Last updated on November 29, 2023

Geospatial files are required to be submitted with all Annual Reclamation Reports (ARR) for each mine. 

Annual reclamation reports for Major Mines

Areas identified in the geospatial files should correspond to the areas reported in Table 1 of the Annual Reclamation Report (WORD, 47.5KB) and maps submitted with the ARR . 

Spatial data submitted as part of prior year’s reporting will be updated to reflect any new disturbance and/or reclamation in the current reporting year. Any changes from spatial data files submitted in previous years must be clearly explained in the Annual Reclamation Report.

Upload your reports, spatial files and maps to MineSpace.

Submit one geospatial file for:

  • Disturbance areas
  • Revegetated areas and areas where reclamation activities are ongoing

Do not include reclamation or disturbance information that is not in your Mines Act Permit.

Spatial data standards

File Information

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Geospatial file requirements

Shapefile is the required file format for submission.

A shapefile is a simple format for storing the location and attribute information of geographic features.

A shapefile can only store one type of geographic feature (e.g., points, lines, polygons), but a single shapefile can hold multiple shapes, with a corresponding record to contain the attributes for each shape.

Mandatory files that make up a shapefile:

  • filename.shp — shape format - the feature geometry itself
  • filename.shx — shape index format - a positional index of the feature geometry to allow seeking forwards and backwards quickly
  • filename.dbf — attribute format - columnar attributes for each shape, in dBASE IV format
  • filename.prj —  projection format - the coordinate system and projection information, a plain text file describing the projection using well-known text format
 

Data standards

Required data standards for shapefile submitted with the ARR
Item Description

Geometry

Polygon feature type

Must not overlap. Every area on the mine site is either one disturbance type or one reclamation status.
Coordinate system required BC Albers

Naming convention

Mine Permit (with understores to replace ‘-‘), underscore, Year, ‘ARR’, underscore, Mine Name

Example: M_300_2016ARR_GoldMine

Attribute Table Data

Use codes in the attribute table fields data standard.

If the Table 1 Disturbance Type categories have been modified, include a description of the codes used.

 

Key aspects for spatial data submission

Disturbance

  • Included disturbances are described as areas of disturbance in the past or present due to any mining activities covered by the Mines Act permit
    • areas cleared of vegetation
    • any roads that are currently active or have not yet been deactivated and reclaimed

Reclamation

  • Total areas in Table 1  (WORD, 98.5KB) (Summary of areas disturbed and reclaimed to December 31 of the reporting year) must match total areas in the spatial file

Spatial table definition

Required field descriptions: names and data types

Shapefile Field Description:

Shapefile Field Name:

Data Type:

Example:

Example Description:

Mine Number

MINE_NO

Text – 10

000001

 

Mine Permit

PERMIT_NO

Text – 10

M - 999

 

Mine Name

MINE_NM

Text – 50

Gold Creek

 

Mine Type

MINE_TYP

Text – 6

M

Mineral

Annual Reclamation Report Year

YEAR_

Short Integer – 4

2018

 

Disturbance Identifier

DSTB_ID

Text – 6

1

 

Reclamation Area Identifier

RECL_ID

Text – 6

1

 

Disturbance Type

DSTB_TYPE

Text – 6

RD

Road

Disturbance Year

DSTB_YEAR

Short Integer - 4

2014

2014

Reclamation Activity Status

RECL_ACT

Text - 6

O

Reclamation activities are ongoing.

Reclamation Year

RECL_YEAR

Short Integer – 4

2014

Most recent activities conducted in 2014.

Comments

COMMENTS

Text – 255

Using same camp area in 2018, no need to reclaim this year.

 

Spatial table attributes

Attribute data standards and domain codes
Shapefile Field Name Shapefile Field description Acceptable Codes Additional Information
MINE_TYP Mine Type
  • C: Coal
  • M: Mineral
  • P: Placer
  • Q: Quarry
  • SG: Sand and Gravel
  

RECL_ACT

Status of Reclamation
  • N: None
  • E: Exempt
  • O: Ongoing
  • C: Re-vegetated

Exempt status identifies areas exempt from reclamation.

Re-vegetated status must have supported vegetation that will lead to the designated land use objective for at least one year.

Revegetated status does not mean the ministry has accepted or signed off on the reclamation.

Enter the year when the status of reclamation is modified in the RECL_YEAR field.

  • None or Exempt status - may be null
  • Ongoing status - requires a date the reclamation activities began 
  • Re-vegetated status - requires a date the reclamation activities were last completed

DSTB_TYPE

Disturbance Type
  • ADMIN: Administrative area/building
  • CCR: Coarse Coal Rejects
  • LI: Linear
  • O: Other (enter comments)
  • PIT: Pit
  • POND: Seepage/Sediment Pond
  • PS: Plant Site
  • RD: Road
  • SP: Stockpile
  • TSF: Tailings Storage Facility General Footprint
  • WD: Waste Dump
  • WTP: Water Treatment Plant and/or Pond

Disturbance Type in in Table 1  (WORD, 98.5KB) (Summary of areas disturbed and reclaimed to December 31 of the reporting year) must match Disturbance Type in the spatial file.