2018-09-27_INSPECTION - C1981038

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September 20, 2018 C-1981-038/Bowie No. 1 Mine JHB Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 2 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 Page 3 of 9 holding up well. Silt fence on the south side of the reduced Mine Access and Haul Road revegetated area (Near the main entry gate) has degraded and fallen down. If this silt fence is not required by the permit to control runoff, it should be removed. If required by the permit, it will need to be replaced. ROM: The straw blankets on the reclaimed sediment pond remains well anchored and has vegetation establishing through the blanket. No problems were noted at the ROM area. Load out: The sediment pond (Map 7) at the Coal Storage area was wet and appeared to have a small puddle at the bottom. This sediment “pond” (trap) was well vegetated. A fence was around 3/4 of the border of the pond. A portion of the fence on the south west side was falling down. The ditch along the north side of the railroad track was in good condition and not blocked. The Sediment pond at the north east side of the load out was dry, with no standing water. The Farmer’s ditch was flowing slowly, but the ditch on the north side of the pond was dry. Willows in the pond need to be cut down this winter to assure proper function of the pond. REVEGETATION – Rule 4.15 Vegetative Cover; Timing: West mine: Vegetation establishment throughout the west mine remains good. The area is very dry, and many of the plants have dried up for the year. Rabbitbrush was blooming and some of the Vetches remain green. It did not appear that the area had experienced a frost yet, as a number of the forbs appeared in good condition. The vegetative cover was effective in controlling erosion. Although Bowie Resources has done a good job controlling noxious weeds on the site, The inspector has observed Perennial pepperweed ( Lepidium latifolium) beginning to invade at the west mine. This species is included on the B list of the Colorado Noxious Weed list, so it will need weed control. The inspector made extra observations at the red stakes denoting where previous Yellow Starthistle patches had been treated. At the red post at the north east side of the reclaimed area, one individual Yellow Starthistle plant was found in a 25 ft. diameter area at the post. The inspector dug up this individual with as much of the root as possible. Weed control for this species has been very effective, but seeing this individual plant indicates that continued monitoring is necessary. The inspector came across a patch of Canada thistle that had been previously noted on the east side of the reclaimed area, east of pond W-1. This patch was dead, and appeared to have been effectively treated by pesticide. East mine: The mine site is very dry, but recent precipitation has allowed some grasses and forb species to green up. Russian Knapweed was encountered along the Mine access road, west of the Refuse Disposal Area. Bowie Resources needs to continue to manage the knapweed. Vegetation on the steep slopes of the east mine is doing well. Alfalfa has started new shoots after the grasshopper decimation earlier in the summer. Perennial pepperweed is present within the reclaimed slopes as well and will need to be controlled. Load out: Vegetative cover at the Coal Storage area is fair, with no rilling or other erosive features in evidence. Bowie Resources is reminded to implement weed control measures on the outslope of the “Bowie Silo Area Railroad outslopes” (Map 7) for Jointed Goat grass.