Overview

Mining of oil sands in the sub-humid region of Northern Alberta, Canada causes large-scale landscape disturbance, which subsequently requires extensive reclamation to re-establish the surface and subsurface hydrology. In order to replicate the hydrological behavior, assess the sustainability, and trace the evolution of reconstructed watersheds over time, a suitable modeling tool is required. In this book, a system dynamics based model is constructed to simulate the hydrological processes in the reconstructed watersheds and to assess their ability to provide the various watershed functions. The System Dynamics Watershed Model (SDWM) is capable of simulating vertical and lateral water movement, surface runoff and evapotranspiration. The study presented in this book is useful for mining industries, water professionals and consultants, and watershed modelers.