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
1 INTRODUCTION
Coors Energy Company (CEC) operated the Keenesburg Mine for coal extraction from 1980 to
1988 and is now conducting reclamation activities under Colorado Division of Reclamation
Mining and Safety (DRMS) Mining and Reclamation Permit C-1981-028. Vegetation monitoring
of reclaimed areas is required by DRMS. This report presents the results of annual reclamation
monitoring conducted on August 17 and 18, 2015 by Habitat Management, Inc. Quantitative
information in this report characterizes the vegetative condition of Reclamation Areas 23, 29, 30,
and 31. Vegetation sampling was performed in compliance with Colorado Mined Land
Reclamation Board Surface Coal Mining Rules 2.04.10 and 4.15 and currently accepted methods
for vegetation sampling.
The Keenesburg Mine is located in Weld County, Colorado, approximately seven miles north of
the town of Keenesburg and is accessed by Weld County Road 59. In 2002, the Keenesburg
Mine assigned numerical designations to each reclamation area starting in the northeast corner of
the permit area and continuing clockwise through the reclaimed areas (Figure 1). Newly
reclaimed areas are assigned consecutive numbers as needed. Reclamation Areas 23, 29, 30, and
31 were monitored in 2015. Reclamation Area 23 is 0.7 acres and was revegetated in 2002,
Reclamation Area 29 is 8.1 acres and was revegetated in 2003, Reclamation Area 30 is 9.7 acres
and was revegetated in 2006, and Reclamation Area 31 is 11.9 acres revegetated in 2009.
Reclamation Areas 23 and 29 have already achieved Phase II bond release, while Reclamation
Areas 30 and 31 have received Phase I bond release. Reclamation activities included backfilling,
grading, topsoiling, and revegetation in accordance with CEC's approved DRMS reclamation
plan.
2 METHODS
The revegetation standards used to evaluate these areas are those currently in effect under the
Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act (CRS 34-33-101) and the Keenesburg Mining
and Reclamation Permit.
2.1 Sampling Design
Ten vegetation cover samples and 15 herbaceous production samples were collected from
Reclamation Areas 29, 30, and 31. Only five vegetation cover and herbaceous production
samples were collected from Reclamation Areas 23 because of its small size. These quantities
are consistent with past sampling agreements between CEC and DRMS. The Keenesburg Mine
does not have a requirement to meet sample adequacy; however, minimum sample sizes and
standard deviations are reported as an indication of variability of the sampled parameters. In all
cases, comparisons presented in this report assume that the sample mean value of each parameter
accurately represents the population mean.
Sample points were located prior to going into the field using mapping software to create a
square grid overlaid on each area being sampled. A sample point is located at the intersection of
each square created by the grid. The grid size was adjusted to create the appropriate number of
sample locations within each Reclamation Area. To minimize edge effects and transition zones,
those intersections where more than 50% of any adjacent grid square was outside of the
Reclamation Area were excluded.
Habitat Management, Inc. 2 October 2015