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Section 816.111. (b) ContinueZ. pounds. In August of 1977, during the driest year ever recorded in northwestern Colorado, production of the seeded species averaged 705 pounds per acre. In 1978, a median year, production averaged 2,212 pounds per acre, and in 1979, a favorable year, forage pro- duction on this site averaged 2,626 pounds of air dry forage per acre. While the results from this reclaimed parcel are encouraging, they are not entirely indicative of productivities which can he achieved under current reclamation practices. For example, Area 10 (an area seeded in October of 1977), yielded 518 pounds of air dry forage per acre during the first growing season, or over twice that produced by the 1974 seeding in its second growing season. Data for 1979 are not yet available, but estimated pro- ductivity is 1,200 to 1,400 pounds of air dry forage per acre. Indications from these sites are that with respect to all postmining land uses, reestablishment of premining productivity is possible within • 3 to 4 years following seeding. Forage productivity on areas proposed as cropland and pasturelands should approximate those encountered on the rangeland areas since planting techniques and many of the seeded species are identical. The Fish Creek bond release area utilized a floristically simple seed mixture with almost the same species as those to be seeded in the cropland and pastureland areas. The results from the bond release area then, are equally indicative of what can be expected for cropland and pastureland areas. The ability of the proposed revegetation seed mixtures to control erosion is directly related to the vegetative cover produced bti~ the planted species. Once again, using the data available from the Fish Creek bond release area, the optimal premining cover was described by the SCS to be 35 percent. Data taken in 1977 after 3 years indicated that the total cover on this site amounted to • 816-141