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Baseline Technical Report <br /> ARCADIS Report for Soils and Biological <br /> Resources, MLE2 Project Area <br /> 2.1.9 SI. Ivywild-Catamount complex, 30 to 70 percent slopes <br /> Within the Cresson Project area, these soils are found on north-facing mountainsides <br /> in association with the dense conifer-dominated woodland vegetation type, and some <br /> areas of transitional aspens. Both unit components have formed from colluvium and <br /> residuum derived from granite. Both soils are somewhat excessively drained, <br /> shallow, and consist of gravelly sandy loam or loamy coarse sand. This soil unit is <br /> not present within the survey area. <br /> 2.1.10 Sz. Seitz very gravelly loam, 20 to 50 percent slopes <br /> Seitz series soils are found on mountainsides with the dense conifer-dominated <br /> woodland vegetation type and in some areas of transitional aspen forests. Typically, <br /> these soils consist of very gravelly loams and clay loams to a depth of approximately <br /> 24 inches, which overlie a subsoil composed of very angular cobbles. A thin surface <br /> layer composed of decomposing conifer needles (duff) is often present within the <br /> survey area. Approximately 24 percent of the survey area (103 acres) is comprised <br /> of this soil unit. Portions of the northern Cresson Project area previously mapped as <br /> Seitz series soils have been disturbed by timbering and land-clearing operations. <br /> 2.2 Growth Medium Resources <br /> As part of the ongoing mining operations at the Cresson Project, CC&V salvages soil <br /> that is suitable for assisting with revegetation. Soil recovered for use during <br /> reclamation is termed growth medium. The soils information presented in Table 2-3 <br /> is generally representative of growth medium within the District. However, the depth <br /> figures for these soil map units are not representative of the depths that can be <br /> salvaged. The volume of growth medium that can be salvaged from areas proposed <br /> for disturbance is based primarily on the depth of the upper soil horizons, but also is <br /> influenced by slope, surface rock, areal extent, and vegetative cover. Regardless of <br /> these factors, depths of less than 6 inches are typically considered to be <br /> unsalvageable due to the large size of the equipment used to recover soil for <br /> reclamation purposes. Growth medium depths vary greatly depending on their <br /> position on the terrain, with the shallowest soil on the upper slopes and deepest at <br /> the toe of the slope. The presence of rock outcrops in some areas renders salvage <br /> operations unmanageable. By removing large roots and stumps and pushing slash, <br /> unavoidable mixing of the soil horizons occurs. Many soils within the project area are <br /> very to extremely cobbly at shallow depths, which may limit their usefulness as <br /> growth medium during reclamation. Field tests of soil pH did not indicate any <br /> additional limitations to use of project area soils as secondary growth medium. <br /> CCV Baseline Soils Biology Resource Report(11-17-11).doc 9 <br />