Dear Readers

I have just recently returned from a conference on sustainable mining in Marrakesh, Morocco. If you have never visited that wonderful country, do yourself a favor and do so. The people are warm and welcoming, the Moroccan cuisine is delicious, and there are a lot of fun things to do. Morocco is exotic, but not overwhelmingly so, for it is really close to Europe. Almost everyone speaks French as well as Arabic and most speak at least one other language, including English. One interesting paper I heard there, by Phillipe Gombert, addressed the I²MINE European research project, which I was completely ignorant of. If you are like me in this regard, please visit http://green-mining.ineris.fr, where 123 case studies have been synthesized into 52 best practices, many of which address, in English, mine water management and the best options to control, reduce, and prevent environmental impacts at each step of a mine’s life.

In addition, there is interesting and relevant research going on in Morocco, as exhibited by a paper in this issue on the hydrogeological behavior of a store-and-release cover, which is based on research being conducted at an abandoned Moroccan mine site. That is an intentional segue, for as promised in the last issue, this issue consists entirely of mine water hydrology papers. If you failed to read this column 3 months ago, I announced a change being done on a trial basis. Rather than publishing an assortment of papers on various topics, I have started constructing thematic journal issues, selecting papers that represent general aspects of mine water research. The last issue included only mine water geochemistry papers, while this issue is similarly focused on various aspects of mine water hydrology. Do you like this way of publishing the papers? So far, I have received precisely one e-mail supporting this approach and none suggesting that they preferred the smorgasbord variety option. Although that is a nice support ratio, I would appreciate hearing from a few more of you; which approach do you prefer?

If you have not yet received a token by e-mail that allows you to access the on-line version of this journal, allowing you to see the papers about 6 months before they appear in print as well as all previously published papers (a prime benefit of IMWA membership), it likely means that you have not yet paid your 2016 dues. Please correct this oversight to maintain your membership status and continue receiving this journal. Also, of course, IMWA membership gets you a discounted registration fee at IMWA conferences, such as the one coming up next month, in Leipzig. I hope to see you there!

Best Regards,

Bob Kleinmann, Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief

editor@MWEN.info