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(U <br />the Mine No. 1 portal backfill, but the portals were excavated, re- <br />compacted, and regraded in March, 1994, and the problem has not <br />recurred. <br />e) Approximately 4 inches of topsoil was replaced over <br />approximately 8 acres of the reclaimed area. The limited amount of <br />topsoil is a result of limited soil development due to the harsh <br />site conditions (arid, steep slopes, south exposures), and because <br />a significant portion of the area was disturbed "pre-law" and <br />topsoil was not salvaged, <br />f) The Mine 1 bench (approximately 2 acres) was seeded in <br />1984/85. The seedmix used is not known, but it apparently included <br />crested wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, and shadscale saltbush, as <br />those species are currently represented. A fairly good stand of <br />crested wheatgrass has become established on the flat bench, with <br />lesser amounts of the other two species, as well as volunteer <br />rubber rabbitbrush. Perennial vegetation cover is probably 35-40$, <br />with the exception of relatively bare area impacted by a vehicle <br />turn-around area at the end of the access road. The small portal <br />backfill area at the upper end of the No. 1 mine bench was re- <br />disturbed and reseeded in 1994, and the vegetation cover is still <br />fairly sparse, and dominated by annuals. <br />Other portions of the mine site were hydroseeded by the operator in <br />1991 with the following seedmix: <br />SPECIES PLS #/ACRE <br />INDIAN RICEGRASS 5.0 <br />GALLETA 1.0 <br />SAND DROPSEED 0.25 <br />CRESTED WHEATGRASS 3.0 <br />WESTERN WHEATGRASS 6.0 <br />SHADSCALE SALTBUSH 1.0 <br />FOURWING SALTBUSH 1.0 <br />ANTELOPE BITTERBRUSH 1.0 <br />WINTERFAT 0.5 <br />UTAH SWEETVETCH 0.25 <br />BLUE FLAX 0.50 <br />TOTAL 19.5 <br />In general, the revegetation was fairly successful in the <br />relatively gently sloping sections of the reclaimed area, and less <br />successful on the steep south facing slopes of the Mine 1 fill <br />outslope and the Mine 2 portal backfill. The Mine 1 fill outslope <br />was mechanically roughened, broadcast seeded and straw mulched in <br />March, 1996, by a DMG contractor. During the past growing season, <br />vegetation as would be expected was dominated by annual forbs, <br />cheatgrass, and volunteer wheat (from the mulch). Some emergence <br />of fourwing saltbush and rubber rabbitbrush was observed. Success <br />