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a Operation Status Map: Shows last year's disturbance areas, any new disturbance <br /> areas (none), and status of all disturbed areas. No map is provided for the South <br /> Lowland area as that has been released from bond and removed from the lease. <br /> Other base maps did not need modification. Even though they cover the larger <br /> original area,the information is still relevant for the small footprint of the lease. <br /> GEOLOGIC CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED: No unusual or unexpected geologic <br /> conditions were encountered in the last year. All of the sand extraction occurred within the previous <br /> mine footprint. In short, the mining has gone back and is cleaning out remaining sand in areas <br /> previously mined, but not completely mined out. The quality of the sand varied from excellent to fair. <br /> Some pockets of good sand have been mined that contain a greater than desirable amount of clay and <br /> silt. But the grades of sand available have become very limited. <br /> HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED: No groundwater was encountered in the <br /> mining pit operated in the past year. As has been the case in the past, accumulation of water in the pit <br /> seeps into the ground fairly quickly except where clay forms the substrate. For the most part the pit <br /> bottom remains dry. <br /> RECLAMATION PERMIT STATUS: No changes were made to the permit in the last year. The <br /> mining is proceeding in accordance with the permitted mining plan. No major shifts in the mining <br /> procedures were done due to unusual conditions. <br /> 404 PERMIT STATUS: Although nothing more need be said about the actual 404 permit, during <br /> the inspection the South Lowland area was briefly visited. Cottonwood and willow growth is <br /> prodigious and strong, even in sand wash areas that previously had difficulty due to shifting sand in <br /> the stream bed. A general lack of very large, flooding flows in Coal Creek as well as better <br /> management of grazing in the riparian corridor has allowed this area to develop in a direction that it <br /> should have. The development of the vegetation after the removal of the cattle for a few years has <br /> continued to expand and overtake the weak areas. In a word, the stream channel is now as it should <br /> be for this kind of prairie stream. Much of the credit for that has to be given to better vegetation <br /> management in the uplands which reduces silt encroachment into the riparian corridor and, finally, <br /> proper management of cattle grazing in the riparian corridor. <br /> MINING ACTIVITY IN THE LAST YEAR: <br /> 1. Depth of mining- In the last year, mining depths were consistent and similar to previous <br /> years. Mining depth reached down to considerable depth,but well within the maximum. <br /> Overburden production in the last year was moderate due to the fact that the mining expanded <br /> into previously disturbed areas that had never been stripped of overburden and soil. Thus, <br /> although the main stockpile grew considerably all of that was from land previously contained <br /> in the disturbed land surrounding the pit. No new land was opened up. <br /> Status report for 2017 due July 15, 2017 Page 2 of 6 <br />