2017-02-28_REPORT - C1981028 (29)

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Keenesburg Mine 2016 Vegetation Monitoring Report 6.4 Reclamation Area 30 Reclamation Area 30 is a 9.7 -acre parcel that was formerly part of the B Pit mining area. This area was graded to blend into the undisturbed area to the west and the reclaimed mining and operational areas to the east resulting in a gentle, east -facing slope. Final revegetation seeding with the DRMS-approved permanent seed mixture took place in November 2006. 6.4.1 Vegetation Cover Total vegetation cover on Reclamation Area 30 averaged 55.2% (Table 10) which represents a large decrease from the 33.6% observed in 2015. However, total native vegetation cover was 16.6% compared to 21.4% in 2015. When cheatgrass is removed from the average total cover the value used to compare the Reclamation Area to the Success Standard is 30.6%. The two species contributing to the cover in all 10 transects were cheatgrass and prickly lettuce. These species contributed 38.4% of the total vegetation cover and more than all of the other species combined. 6.4.2 Herbaceous Production Total herbaceous production within Reclamation Area 30 averaged 270.7 g/m2 (2,415 lbs/acre) which is more than three times greater than that observed in 2015 (Table 11). Annual forbs accounted for 54.5% of this production, while perennial grasses accounted for 35%, and annual grasses 10.5°/x. Cheatgrass contributed 8% of the total production and average total production without cheatgrass was 258.7 g/m2 (2,308 lbs/acre). This value (without cheatgrass) was used to compare the Reclamation Area to the Success Standard. 6.4.3 Species Composition Sixteen species from five life forms contributed to the cover data (Table 10) with a total of 25 species encountered along the transects (Appendix A). Ten grasses and six forbs contributed to the cover data, 13 of which were native and three were introduced (Table 12). There were seven perennial species and nine annual species. Both warm and cool season grass species contributed to the cover, with seven warm season perennial species, two warm season annual species, and one cool season annual species. Cheatgrass contributed 47.7% of the total relative cover; however, with cheatgrass removed seven other species contributed more than 3% of the relative (Table 10) including three warm season perennial native grasses, one annual introduced forb, and three annual native forbs. These species in rank order (highest to lowest) include: prickly lettuce, sand bluestem, sand dropseed, Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis), prairie sandreed, Cuman ragweed, and prairie sandmat (Chamaesyce maculata). Habitat Management, Inc. 17 October 2016