INSPEC31910

• Permit No: C1981026
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Date: 6/17/1997
• Doc Name: COAL INSPECTION REPORT
• Inspection Date: 6/11/1997
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE
Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made
during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the
inspection and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action.
This was a partial inspection of the reclaimed Canadian Strip,
focusing on an evaluation of revegetation. The inspection was
conducted by Dan Mathews of the DMG Grand Junction office, 2148
Broadway, ~C-5, Grand Junction, CO 81503, phone [phone].
Weather at the time of the inspection was partly cloudy, cool and
windy. Most of the disturbed area at the mine was apparently
seeded in the early to mid 1980's, and phase 2 bond release has
previously been approved. An effective cover of perennial
vegetation has been established throughout the site. Reclaimed
slopes in general show little evidence of erosion, although a few
areas of concentrated flow have experienced rill and gully erosion
in the past and several rilled areas on the slope above Pond 1 have
recently been graded, seeded, and stabilized with erosion control
blanket.
The reclaimed site is dominated by a large Swale feature trending
roughly north/south, with a drainage divide in the middle, such
that the southern half of the Swale drains south to Pond 2, and the
northern half drains north to Pond 1. The Swale is bounded on both
sides by north/south trending ridges, broken up by grassy ephemeral
drainages which lead to the main Swale.
Vegetation on the southern portion of the west ridge feature is
quite diverse, dominated by various native grasses and forbs, along
with the introduced legume cicer milkvetch. Big sagebrush is a
significant component of the vegetation in this area, with
scattered rubber rabbitbrush the only other shrub present in
significant numbers. Common grasses include western wheatgrass,
green needlegrass, thickspike wheatgrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass,
with lesser amounts of crested wheatgrass and intermediate
wheatgrass. Common forbs are blue flax, rocky mountain penstemon,
cicer milkvetch, and yarrow. Big sagebrush is particularly
abundant along the east facing slope of the ridge which parallels
Pond 2. The sagebrush appears to be primarily concentrated in
areas where cicer milkvetch and perennial grasses are sparse.
Other areas of the minesite are largely dominated by herbaceous
vegetation, with significant numbers of sagebrush or other shrubs
lacking. It is not known whether this is associated with different
seedmixes or seeding practices, wind patterns affecting sagebrush
colonization from adjacent areas, or other factors.
The north end of the west ridge is dominated by bluebunch
wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, various bluegrasses, and some
yellow sweetclover. The large Swale feature supports a relatively
diverse stand of native and introduced wheatgrasses, native forbs