2016-02-29_REPORT - C1981028 ‎(12)‎

• Permit No: C1981028
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 2/29/2016
• Doc Name: Annual Hydrology & Reclamation Report
• From: Coors Energy
• To: DRMS
• Annual Report Year: 2015
• Permit Index Doc Type: Annual Reclamation Report
• Email Name: TNL
• Email Name: DIH
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Keenesburg Mine 2015 Vegetation Monitoring Report
6.5 2015Revegetation Success Standards
The following standards were calculated for vegetation cover and herbaceous production using
the September 2014 through July 2015 precipitation (16.66 inches) in the predictive equations
presented in Section 3.
1. Vegetation Cover Standard= 36.11%
2. Herbaceous Production Standard = 192.28 g/m2
7 DISCUSSION
All four of these Reclamation Areas were sampled in 2012, and Reclamation Areas 30 and 31
were also sampled in 2014. The results were compared to previous years' data as well as the
reclamation standards.
7.1 Vegetation Cover
Based on the results of the quantitative sampling, all four Reclamation Areas had total vegetation
cover greater than 90% of the standard, but when cheatgrass was removed from the cover totals
they no longer met the success standard (Table 13).
Table 13: Vegetation Cover Success Standard Comparison
Vegetation Cover
Reclamation
Area 23
Reclamation
Area 29
Reclamation
Area 30
Reclamation
Area 31
Average
42.40
38.20
33.60
41.40
Average (minus noxious)
31.60
36.60
24.40
14.40
St Dev
5.55
9.02
7.76
11.11
N
5
10
10
10
Nmin
6
1 20
1 19
1 114
Standard
36.11
90% of Standard
32.50
Standard Passed?
No
No
I No
No
Reclamation Areas 30 and 31 were monitored in 2014 and all four Reclamation Areas were
monitored in 2012. Total cover in all areas has increased since 2012. Total cover also increased
in Reclamation Area 31 between 2014 and 2015; but decreased in Reclamation Area 30 from
2014 to 2015 (Figure 4). Almost all of these changes in total cover can be attributed to changes
in cover of annual introduced species. Absolute cover of perennial native species has decreased
each year in all areas except Reclamation Area 31 (Figure 4). Absolute cover of annual
introduced species including cheatgrass and annual forbs has increased each year in all areas
except Reclamation Area 30.
Annual species (both native and introduced) are able take advantage of seasonal changes in
precipitation patterns more quickly than perennial species. The above average precipitation in the
two preceding years (September 2013 — July 2014 was 50% above average and September 2014
— July 2015 was 44% above average, Figure 3) provided for a flush of annual species.
Particularly the spikes in September and April -May precipitation gave a boost to cheatgrass and
early spring annuals, such as prickly lettuce and Canadian horseweed, at the expense of the
dominant warm season grasses.
Habitat Management, Inc. 16 October 2015