Laserfiche WebLink
C <br />L <br />INTRODUCTION <br />Throughout this century, the mountains and foothills of southern <br />Colorado have yielded the raw materials for the production of steel products <br />by the CF&I Steel Corporation. Procurring these materials has created areas <br />of disturbance related to the mining operations, and until recently these <br />disturbed areas were revegetated only through natural succession. This <br />study examines revegetation techniques on the waste material present at <br />three mines operated by CF&I Steel Corporation. <br />The Allen Mine, near Trinidad, is active in the deep mining of coal. <br />Studies were established there in 1976 on coal slack dumps in the Purgatoire <br />River Valley. The Canon City Dolomite Quarry, near Canon City, and the <br />Monarch Limestone Quarry at Garfield, are both active in the quarrying of <br />blast furnace fluxstones. At both locations, study plots were established <br />in 1976 on coarse, barren waste material. The elevation, precipitation and <br />lifezone of each operation is contained in Table 1. <br />The objective of the studies is to determine possible methods and <br />materials for successful establishment of functional and diverse plant <br />communities on the mine wastes. <br />Table 1. Locations, elevation, precipitation, and life zones of the three <br />study ares. <br />Operation Material Elevation Precipitation Life Zone <br />Mined (m) (cm) <br />0 <br />Canon City Quarry Dolomite 1830 31.5 Pinyon -Juniper <br />Allen Mine Coal 2250 51 Ponderesa pine - <br />Douglas fir <br />Monarch Ouarry Limestone 2625 102.0 Subalpine • <br />1 <br />