2016-10-18_REPORT - C1981013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMO Reclamation of the disturbed mine site was completed in two phases. The first phase involved backfilling, re -contouring, redistributing topsoil, and seeding and mulching of the surface facilities area and mine water treatment ponds 002 and 005. Drainage controls were established, and no erosion problems have occurred on the reclaimed areas. Seeding and mulching of the reclaimed areas occurred in the fall of 1996, with limited seeding on the coal waste pile in May of 1997. The second phase of reclamation involved removal and reclamation of sediment ponds 003 and 004, and reclamation of the diversion ditches which carried surface water to the ponds. Activities included backfilling, re -contouring, redistributing topsoil, and seeding and mulching. This phase of the reclamation was completed in late 1998. The following sections provide information that document the 2015 attempt for approval of Phase III bond release for the remaining 0.8 acre of Rangeland Reclaimed Area. The discussion focuses on documentation of revegetation success criteria and capability of the reclaimed area for the approved post - mining land use. Methods ARCADIS, Inc. (ARCADIS) conducted vegetative sampling from June 8 to 11. One Rangeland Reclaimed Area and the corresponding Reference Area were sampled separately. Sampling was conducted for vegetative cover, species diversity and herbaceous production on each area. The Rangeland Reclaimed Area is shown in Figure 1; the Reference Area is shown in Figure 2. Vegetative cover in both the reference and reclaimed areas were sampled utilizing 25 -meter point - transects oriented perpendicular to a baseline tape placed parallel to the length -wise, or west, edge of the reference or reclaimed area, respectively. For each transect, two cover sampling points, 1 meter apart, on each side of the transect tape were sampled at 1 -meter intervals, resulting in 50 sample points per transect. Each corresponding sample point was determined by projection of the ocular sight (Cover -Point Optical Point Projection Device, Model 2) vertically downward and physically recording all manner of "first hits". The "first hits" were recorded as rock, bare ground, litter, or live vegetation. Live vegetation was further classified to genus and species. The live vegetative "first hits" were used to calculate total vegetative cover for each transect according to Equation 1. (1) % Total Vegetative Cover = Number of Hits on Vegetation Total Number of Points x 100 Mean vegetative cover for each area was the mean value for all transects in that area. The diversity of plant species in the Rangeland Reclaimed Areas was evaluated using data acquired from the point -intercept transects. Transect data was used to determine the relative cover of each species detected (Equation 2). (2) % Relative Cover of Species X = % Cover of Species X % Total Vegetative Cover Production was determined by hand clipping all aboveground, live, herbaceous biomass in two separate 0.5 -square -meter quadrats along each 25 -meter cover transect at meter -marks 10 and 20. Vegetation was clipped and separated by life -form (grass, forb). The clipped vegetation was placed in labeled, dry paper bags, then air dried as a "dry" weight. arcadis.com Page: 2/6