2014-06-20_REVISION - M1981207 ‎(10)‎

• Permit No: M1981207
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 6/20/2014
• Doc Name: Application AM01
• From: Western Slope Aggregates, Inc.
• To: DRMS
• Type & Sequence: AM1
• Email Name: SJM
• Email Name: GRM
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Blue Pit
Rangeland Seed Mix
112 Permit Amendment
Common Name
% of mixture
Drill Seed PLS/ acre
Western Wheatgrass
17
5
Thickspike Wheatgrass
17
5
Slender Wheatgrass
17
5
Green Needlegrass
13
3.75
Indian Ricegrass
9
2.5
Mountain Brome
13
3.75
Four Wing Saltbrush
7
2
Rubber Rabbit Brush
7
2
Total
100
29
The temporary seed mix is used on areas which are not ready to be permanently reclaimed but will
cover disturbed areas to lessen visual impacts to the homes to the north and to reduce wind and
water erosion.
The irrigated pasture will be landscaped by placing topsoil back on the pit floor and seeding the
land with the irrigated pasture mix. The existing side roll irrigation system from the pre mined
irrigated pasture will be reused on the post mine irrigated pasture. All equipment will be removed
from the irrigated pasture area. See the Map F for the location of the irrigated pasture. No trees or
shrubs will be planted in this area. The irrigated seed mix will be drill seeded into the tilled soil
with 2,000 lbs of straw per acre. The cost of topsoil placement and seeding is anticipated to be
$3,000 per acre and 29.21 acres = $88,000. Western Slope Aggregates operates the current irrigated
fields for the landowner and will likely continue this practice until the DRMS bond is released.
There are flat and sloped areas that will be landscaped to rangeland. These areas are shown on the
Map F. The rangeland seed mix will be drill seeded into the tilled soil with 2,000 lbs of straw / acre.
The rangeland seed mix has Four Wing Saltbrush and Rubber Rabbit Brush to provide the shrub
requirement in the rangeland landscape. Supplemental irrigation may be used during drought
years. Tree saplings are excluded from the revegetated areas since they are not needed to mitigate
visual impacts and the root system could interfere with the post mine drainage ditches.
Additionally, prior to these fields being used for irrigated pasture they were a grass /shrub mix with
minimal trees.
Post - Reclamation Site Drainage
The Blue Pit is an elevated terrace above the Roaring Fork River Valley. There are no streams that
enter the site and there will be no surface water that leaves the site after reclamation. Surface runoff
from above the site on the northeast corner is captured by the Basin Ditch and the Spring Ditch
and will continue to do so after reclamation. To the south, the highway ditch will divert most
drainage to the west and out of the pit. The northwest rim of the pit will have a constructed 2' berm
Blue Pit May 2014 E -S