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0 <br />W <br />50/50 mixture of ammoniated triple superphosphate and ammonium nitrate <br />applied at a rate of 100 pounds per acre should be suitable for ini- <br />tial establishment. Rates exceeding this rate should be avoided <br />because of the possibility of suppressing germination because of added <br />fertilizer salts. As in the case of reclaimed areas at the loadout, <br />field diagnoses of nitrogen deficiency can be made in the first <br />several seasons after initial establishment. Nitrogen applications in <br />subsequent years based on these field diagnoses will be a much more <br />sensible way to go about things than performing soil tests for fer- <br />tilizer recommendations since meaningful fertilizer recommendations do <br />not exist for the species being seeded. <br />On the basis of the results of current revegetation work on previously <br />disturbed sites at the mine which have not been topsoiled, successful <br />reclamation appears realistic and practical. Soil sampling and analy- <br />sis of the mine area surface and subsurface media, including several <br />from very harsh sites, indicate no physical or chemical properties <br />which would prevent successful revegetation (see Section 3.8.1). <br />Continuing work on interim reclamation will further clarify these <br />prospects and the Division will be periodically supplied with updated <br />progress reports. A number of plant species have already adapted to <br />these disturbed sites. <br />Seed mixtures are proposed in the accompanying Tables 4.4.2-5 through <br />4.4.2-9. The first mixture is a harsh -site mixture which will be used <br />on the south -facing areas of exposed weathered Mancos—shale. The <br />native vegetation on this type of area is extremely sparse, with broad <br />areas of naturally occurring bare ground. Area 11 on the Interim <br />Reclamation Plan Map is representative of this type of site. The <br />second mixture will be used on the cooler, more moist sites of the <br />low-lying, flatter areas, and on the few north -facing disturbed areas <br />4-58 <br />