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USDA United States Natural Resources Holyoke Field Office <br />~~. Department of Conservation 1280 SW Interocean Drive <br />Agriculture Service Holyoke, CO 80734 <br />(NRCS) <br />Telephone: 970-854-2812 http:/Iwww.co.nres.usda.gov Fax: 970-854-2854 <br />Phillips County Commissioners <br />221 So. Interocean <br />Holyoke, Colo. 80734 <br />RE: Information for Mined Land Reclamation <br />Located NW-Sec 31-SN-R47W Phillips County, Colorado <br />Dear Rick Ensminger: <br />The information you requested on about nine (9.8) acres of land in the NW Sec. 31-T8N-R47W <br />In Phillips County, is included in this letter. It is my understanding that the request is to remove soil and <br />gravel. <br />SOIL INFORMATION: <br />Soil for the area requested, according to the Soil Survey of Phillips County, issued June 1971, is <br />mapped in one unit. The soil map unit is (WeE) Wages-Eckley-Dix complex, 5-25 percent slopes. For <br />more information see attached soils map and soil descriptions. <br />VEGETATION INFORMATION: <br />The vegetation on this site consists of grasses, fortis, and annual weeds. The grasses are: Blue Grama, <br />Western Wheatgrass, Buffalo Grass, Red Three Awn, Downy Brome, Six Weeks Fescue and Sand <br />Dropseed. Fortis on this site are: Scurfsea, Sand Sage, Wavyleaf Thistle, Asters, Worm Wood, Cudweed <br />Sage, Plains Prickly Pear and Wooly Indianwheat. <br />RECLAMATION PLAN: <br />1. SLOPES: During mining operations, cut or fill slopes should not exceed 3:1 side slopes (3 horizontal to <br />1 vertical) . Cut slopes should be scarified a minimum of three (3) inches deep prior to placement of <br />any soil material. <br />2. TOP SOIL: During mining operations, topsoil should be stockpiled to be used in reclamation of the <br />area. After mining operations are completed, the area should be shaped and graded with no slopes <br />exceeding 3:1. After scarifying, topsoil should be spread over any disturbed area. The topsoil should <br />be six (8) inches to one (1) foot thick. While topsoil is stockpiled, it should be seeded to Lincoln Smooth <br />Brome Grass at the rate of 13 pounds peracre of Per Live Seed. It could be seeded with a nurse crop of 5 <br />to 10 poulds of oats per acre. Grass seeding should be done between November 1 and May 1. Seed Cost <br />on 5-23-2002 is (a7 530.00 <br />3. COVER CROP: After the topsoil has been spread over areas to be reclaimed, it should be seeded to <br />a cover crap. Recommendations are to use a hybrid forage sorghum. This should be seeded before July . <br />The rate of seeding is about 15 pounds of seed per acre in 6" to 12" row spacing. There should be at <br />least 8" to 12" of stubble to seed grass into. <br />4. FERTILIZER: Soil Test should be made prior to seeding and applied as needed. <br />5. SEEDING: Grass seeding should be done between November 1 and May 1. Seeding should not <br />done when the ground is frozen. The seedbed should be firm, moist and clean of weeds. Seeding should <br />be into a cover crop, (see item 3 above). If a cover crop is not used, then seeded area should be covered <br />with a mulch, (see item 6 below). <br />The Natural Resources Conservation Service works handtin-hand with <br />the American people to conserve natural resources on private lands AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER <br />