2015-02-26_REPORT - C1981028 ‎(7)‎

• Permit No: C1981028
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 2/26/2015
• Doc Name: Annual Hydrology and Reclamation Report
• From: Coors Energy Company
• To: DRMS
• Annual Report Year: 2014
• Permit Index Doc Type: Annual Reclamation Report
• Email Name: TNL
• Email Name: DIH
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Keenesburg Mine 2014 Vegetation Monitoring Report
46 %), the decrease in cool season grasses was much larger (19% to 3.8 %). This suggests that the
same decline in cool season species is likely occurring in this area as well. The seed mixture used
in Area 31 was slightly different from that used in Area 30 and favored warm season grasses
91% to 9 %.
Table 9: Reclamation Area 13 Relative Cover Trends 2012 — 2014
Life Form
Relative over M
2012
2014
Cool Season Perennial Grasses
19.0
3.8
Warm Season Perennial Grasses
58.2
46.2
Cheat grass
18.4
24.5
Annual Introduced Forbs
0.6
8.0
6.2 Herbaceous Production
Based on the results of the herbaceous production sampling, Reclamation Areas 30 and 31 both
fell short of the production success standard calculated value (Table 10).
Table 10: Herbaceous Production Success Standard Comparison
Herbaceous Production
( M2)
Reclamation
Area 30
Reclamation
Area 31
Mean
120.0
101.6
Mean (minus noxious)
114.9
97.7
St Dev
101.4
65.0
N
15
15
Nmin
141
80
Standard
212.6
90% of Standard
191.3
Standard Passed?
No
No
Herbaceous production was approximately the same in 2014 as it was in 2012 in Reclamation
Area 30 (120 g /m2 as compared to 124.1 g /m2). However, in 2012 it was almost entirely
composed of perennial grasses with a small component of cheatgrass. In 2014, it was only 42%
perennial grasses with a 5% component of annual grasses (4% cheatgrass), 29% native forbs, and
24% introduced forbs.
Reclamation Area 31 had greater herbaceous production in 2014 than 2012 (101.64 g /m2
compared to 77.5 g /0). However, the community components changed at this site as well. In
2012 there were 92% perennial grasses, 5% cheatgrass, and 3% forbs, while in 2014 there were
57% perennial grasses, 5% annual grasses (4% cheatgrass), 25% native fortis, and 14%
introduced forbs.
The above average precipitation in 2013 -2014 resulted in a large increase to the predicted
standard value, but not a large increase in actual production on the ground. This could be due to
the timing of the precipitation. The extra precipitation fell a huge storm event in September
2013, above average snowfall in January, and large events in May and June 2014. The
September 2013 precipitation fell so fast that it caused flooding in much of the state and did not
Habitat Management, Inc. 15 September 2014