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~,~~. ~ • <br />RECLAMATION REPORT <br />MANUEL MONDRAGON $ENTONI TE PIT <br />This report provides recommendationSfor the reclamation of an existing <br />bentonite pit and its proposed expansion. It is located in the sE4 NW~a Sec 9 <br />T32 N R11E in Conejos County, Colorado. <br />Present Description of the Area <br />The final size of the pit after expansion will be approximately 220 feet <br />wide by 600 feet long or about 3 acres. It is located on the floor of Punche <br />Valley about ~ mile west of the Box Canyon of the Rio Grande, approximately <br />13 miles southeast of Antonito, Colorado. The average elevation is 7575 feet. <br />The Soil Conservation Service describes the range site as Mountain Outwash <br />is poor condition, with an average annual precipitation of 7 to 9 inches, and <br />slopes of 0 to 18. Most of the rainfall occurs in July and August. <br />There is approximately 158 ground cover at present which would produce <br />about 300 pounds of air-dried vegetation per acre. Assuming a maximum of 508 <br />use, 450 pounds would: be available on the entire 3 acres, or 0.45 animal unit <br />months. <br />The present species composition by weight is 208 Slue Grama, 58 Sand <br />Dropseed, a trace of Western wheatgrass, 308 Rabbitbrush, 40$ Kochis, 58 <br />Slim stem Mutely, and a trace of Four-wing Saltbush and Big Sage. <br />Potential annual producation in Yavorable years is 800 Hounds per acre <br />air dry, 600 pounds per acre air dry in normal years, and is 300 pounds per <br />acre air dry in unfavorable years. <br />The soil in the area is Monte Loam which is a deep, well-drained soil <br />with moderate permeability and an effective rooting depth of 60 inches. Sur- <br />face runoff is slow and the erosion hazard is moderate. <br />~(A line map showing the location of the pit and a description of the <br />soil are attached for more detailed information.) <br />Treatment <br />The area will be reclaimed as rangeland. Since this is an ongoing opera- <br />tion, reclamation of the affected areas should be done annually to facilitate <br />reclamation and to minimize erosion and other adverse effects. <br />All the topsoil should be stockpiled to provide an adequate rooting zone <br />when the topsoil is replaced following excauation. If the replaced topsoil <br />is less than six inches deep, it should be mixed into the existing soil to a <br />depth of six inches. <br />1 <br />