Laserfiche WebLink
Section 779.21 (a) Continued. <br />• described in the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality suit- <br />ability rating for soils found in Table 79, Suitability Ratings for <br />Soils as Sources of Topsoil. Furthermore, the data are compared <br />with established guidelines For normal plant growth and examined <br />for any potential toxicity levels or nutrient deficiencies. <br />~. A total of 112 samples were analyzed for pH. Heil (1976) <br />found a range of 6.3 to 8.2 for soils in the Energy Mine No. 1 <br />area. The U. S. Forest Service and Berg (1973) determined a pH <br />range of 5.9 to 6.8, also in the Energy Mine No. 1 area. Energy <br />Fuels encountered a range of from 5.9 to 8.3 on the. soils on Mine <br />No. 2. Heil (1978), reported pH values ranging from 6.6 to 7.0 on <br />Energy Mine No. 1. In Eckman Park, pH values ranged from 5.3 to <br />6.9. A total of 9 Eckman Park samples fell below the pH value of 6 <br />presented in Table 79, Suitability Ratings for Soils as Sources of <br />Topsoil. Slightly acidic pH values are often encountered at high <br />• elevations such as those encountered in the permit area. Donahue, <br />e.t. al. (1971), Page 291 reports, "that the pH for greatest avail- <br />ability for most nutrients is about 5.5." Only two pH values <br />measured in the permit aroma are below that level; one of 5.4, the <br />other at 5. 3. The data demonstrates that there is no problem with <br />pH. Using this characteristic for evaluating topsoil suitability, <br />the soils are considered good according to the stability ratings <br />described above. <br />Electrical Conductivit}•. A total of 112 samples were analyzed for <br />electrical conductivity. At Energy Mine No. 1, Heil (1976) found <br />the range of electrical conductivity for the combined A and B <br />horizons to be 0.2 tc 0.7, with an average of 0.34 mmhos/cm. <br />Both the U. S. Department of Agriculture and Colorado State Uriver- <br />sity researchers encountered a range of 0.3 to 1.0 mmhos/cm for <br />soils in Energy Mine No. 1. On Fish Creek, Energy Fuels reported <br />a range of 0.2 to 1.6 with an average of 0.47 mmhos/cm. Heil <br />• (1978) reported a range from 0.4 to 4.2 with an average of 1.0 <br />779-287 <br />