The Illinois State Geological Survey has completed a digitized file of outlines and locations of all known abandoned mines in Illinois (more than 5,500) and a computerized file of mining methods, mining conditions, geological conditions, and historical and geographical data for each mine site. The files were compiled in response to increasing requests for such information from public and private agencies involved in urban planning, coal resource evaluations, and mine subsidence investigations.

The mine outlines were digitized from original mine maps and/or microfilm copies of the maps. ILLIMAP, an Illinois State Geological Survey-designed computer-based mapping system, was modified to manipulate the digitized data. Maps generated by this system show mine outlines, portal locations, and index number assigned to each mine.

The end products of this project will be a comprehensive Illinois coal-mine data file and two sets of mined-out-area maps, one set consisting of overlays for the U.S. Geological Survey topographic map series in the coal areas, the other of county base maps. Mine index numbers on the maps will be used to retrieve information from the coal-mine data file. Overlays will be housed at Illinois Abandoned Mined Land Reclamation Council offices.

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