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Indiana Division of Reclamation Abandoned Mine Land Program
Bat Gating Projects |
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The Indiana Division of Reclamation's Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program has undertaken multiple bat gating projects in recent years. These bat gates were installed not only to protect the public from dangers of open mine shafts, but also to maintain the habitat that is so critical to the bats that use these mines. To get these projects started, we initially contacted Bat Conservation International (BCI) for guidance. BCI was very instrumental in helping us properly design and implement our bat gating projects. Then we contacted the Indiana Karst Conservancy (IKC), |
 a non-profit organization consisting entirely of volunteers that is dedicated to the protection of Indiana's natural caves. They had gate building experience at caves, and could easily apply those principles to building gates at abandoned mines. They have agreed to work with the AML Program because they realize that these abandoned underground mines often exhibit many of the same characteristics of natural caves, and therefore, provide habitat for the same species that they try to protect. |
The Indiana AML Program is using this sealing technique because it is very cost effective, it maintains critical habitat, and causes minimal environmental impact. Because all materials and equipment are generally carried in by hand, the installation of bat gates has virtually no impact on the surrounding land. No heavy equipment or clearing of any kind takes place.
The following is a brief description and photographs for each site. For more information contact Mark Stacy, Indiana Department of Natural Resources. |
This site consists of one mine entrance with a typical gate installation. |
The site consists of three mine entrances at the top of a very steep bluff of the Wabash River. Two of the entrances were gated, the third has been sealed with a gated culvert. The larger of the gated entrances is heavily used by numerous bat species including an occasional Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis). |
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This site consists of one mine entrance with a typical gate installation. |
This site consisted of three mine entrances needing gates located under a natural rock overhang. |
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This site consists of one mine entrance that is located within the State Park, along one of the hiking trails. The park installed a series of fences in years past to try to keep hikers out of the mine. However, this was never totally successful, as the fence was constantly vandalized. Also, because of the fence, the mine was not being utilized by bats. The gate at this site will not only keep people out, but will allow the bats to rediscover the mine and utilize it as habitat. |
This site consisted of three subsidences that needed protection but typical gates were not feasible, therefore, gated culverts were used. These culverts were installed as part of a much larger project that involved earth moving and revegetation and was completed by one of our typical contractors, not by the IKC. This series of photos shows the installation of one of the gated culverts. |
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This site consisted of four mine entrances in a row along a ridge. Typical gate installations.
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This site consisted of three mine entrances that needed gating. The Indiana Bat (myotis sodalis) was trapped at one of these openings, making it the first and only abandoned underground coal mine in Indiana to date to have documented use by the Indiana bat. |
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This site consisted of one mine entrance and typical gate installation. |
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UBHEADWHITE (from REGIONAL STYLE SHEET)