2023-05-25_PERMIT FILE - M2022048 (6)

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EXHIBIT E RECLAMATION PLAN(CONT) exceed the bonded amount, the applicant shall submit a bond revision to the Division. Currently, the proposed mine site is primarily irrigated agricultural land, but is broken into 4 different use areas . The current uses are, irrigated crop areas; non-irrigated pasture; ditch and return flow corridors; and oil/gas operations areas with some high capacity gas pipeline ROW' s around the perimeter. The agricultural uses will continue in areas where mining opera- tions have not yet begun. There is very little native vegetation present on the majority of the site because of the intensive agricultural practices that have taken place on the land. In most cases, the oil/gas operations areas have little vegetation and the high pressure gasline ROW' s have been farmed for many years and the vegetation cover on those areas is consistent with farmed areas . The ditch and return flow corridors have been disturbed by ditch maintenance over the years . This leaves only isolated areas around the permit area with vegetation that may be considered native. The typical vegetation descriptions in EXHIBRsI &Jwill not match the actual current vegetation on the site due to the agricultural activities - pastureland (cattle grazing) and farming with various crops . RECLAMATION PLAN This section covers reclamation on the developed water storage reservoirs in Phases 1 thru 4 . As discussed in the MINING PLAN text, reclamation will run concurrent with mining. Initially this will happen when the reservoir slope areas are being mined and graded. The plan is to use overburden or shale from the mine floor to create compacted slopes around each reser- voir. The APPENDIX contains the Deere & Ault Geotechnical Slope Stability Analysis where on page 4 they explain this method of sloping. Backfilling will be done, then once mining has reached the outer limits of a Phase, the sloping materials will begin to be placed against the working face so only minor amounts of slope work will be necessary as mining ends . In Phase 2 where mining will take place within 400 feet of the river, the bank will be backfilled to 300 feet at which point the slope into the reservoir will be backfilled and sloped. In this area no more the 500 feet will need backfilling nor will it be left open for more than 12 months . Armoring will begin as soon as bank sloping is complete on each 500 ft section. No more than 1000 feet of outside bank backfilling and sloping will be needed at any given time. This will also ensure, that if mining L.G. EVERIST, INC.-WEST FARMS RESERVOIR May 2023 17