Katie McMahen

Following completion of a BSc in Global Resource Systems at UBC in 2011, I moved back to Williams Lake, BC (where I was born and raised) to work in the Environmental Department at the Mount Polley Mine. In my position at the mine I was involved in the reclamation program and contributed to reclamation planning, research and implementation. In 2014, a tailings dam breach occurred at Mount Polley and the resulting disturbance presented a major rehabilitation challenge. The level and type of disturbance, however, also presented a unique environment for conducting research, with the potential for research outcomes to advance reclamation science and best practices.

The objective of my research is to test and apply terrestrial reclamation methods that promote re-development of the soil food web, and in doing so improve vegetation establishment, soil development and ecosystem resiliency. My research program includes a field trial at Mount Polley in the area impacted by the dam breach, as well as greenhouse studies using substrates collected from the mine site.