Tracking Abandoned Mine Land Hazards in Illinois

Presentation Type: Lightning Talk (5 minutes)

Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Intended Audience: GIS User, GIS Instructor, Student

Abstract

As part of our collaboration with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the Illinois State Geological Survey has developed a comprehensive digital system to report and track abandoned mine land hazards throughout Illinois. Utilizing ArcGIS Survey123, we designed an intuitive form enabling both field staff and local government agencies to submit mine-related hazard reports, including site descriptions, photos, and location data from GPS or map-based boundary drawings. The form features an integrated impact assessment to evaluate the impact of each report, and Microsoft Power Automate triggers immediate email notifications to the responsible team for high impact cases, while automatically providing users with a PDF record of their submission. Additionally, using ArcGIS Dashboard, we created an interactive front end that displays real time reports, allowing IDNR staff to filter and analyze the submitted data by location, hazard type and impact level, with conditional formatting powered by Arcade expressions. This integrated solution streamlines data collection, visualization, and prioritization, ultimately enhancing decision-making, communication, and the overall management of abandoned mine lands.

Presenter(s)

Sunita Mahat

GIS Specialist, Illinois State Geological Survey

Sunita Mahat is a GIS Specialist at the Illinois State Geological Survey, where she develops digital tools to support environmental research and abandoned mine land hazard reporting. Sunita is passionate about building user-friendly GIS solutions and continuously expanding her skills in spatial analysis, automation and geospatial technology.