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<br />EXHIBIT J Soil Conaervatioa Sorvice
<br />;_,~ .' Colorado Springs, CO
<br />~~~•~ December 8, 197
<br />f
<br />Mined Land Reclamation
<br />Inventory & Evaluation
<br />for
<br />Schmidt-Tiagn Construction Co,
<br />Gravel Pit Operations
<br />~ Christian Pit Area No. ? and
<br />Christian Pit Area No, 2
<br />IACATION: Both pits are located approximately 1 mile southi~eat of
<br />Interstate Highway 25, Fountain Exit, Pit Area No, 9 is in the enuth
<br />half of the southeast quarter of Section 12, T16S, R661•1, Pit Ar:~i
<br />No, 2 ie in the northwest quarter of Section 13, T16S, R661•i, Pit
<br />v Area No, 1 ie located on the northeast escarpment of a narrow nor-°a-
<br />west to southeast trending plateau, Pit Area No, 2 is located on tho
<br />southwest escarpment of the same plateau.
<br />SOILS: Soil on the escarpment portion of the site is a Schamber G~avel-
<br />ly loam on elopes of 30 to 50 percent, Razor clay loam occurs at the
<br />toe of the gravelly slopes, in places. The predominant soil on lovel
<br />plateau areas into which both of the pit operations are now being
<br />extended ie a Fort Collins loam on 0 to 3 percent elopes, This to a
<br />dsep, well-drained, medium textured soil formed in medium texture9
<br />alluvium, The depth of alluvium over gravel apparently ranges fron
<br />about ~ to 15 Feet,
<br />VEGETATION: There are two distinct plant communities oa theao areas,
<br />one on the Fort Collins loam and one on the Sch~ber gravelly loem soil,
<br />Blue grams is the dominant plant do the Fort Collins loam, A1ao
<br />found were Prickly pear cactus, Snakeweed, Cholla, and Low rabbitbruah.
<br />Side-oats grams and blue grams are the dominant grasses nn tho
<br />Schamber gravelly loam, Other grasses found were Little bluestem, Big
<br />bluestem, and Three-awn. Shrubs found were Low rabbitbrush, Buclntl~eat,
<br />and Snakeweed,
<br />Range sites correlated to these soils are respectively loamy gyaina
<br />and gravel breaks, Range condition on both sites where not disturbed
<br />by the gravel pit operations is currently fair to goo i.
<br />OTHER INVENTORY OBSERVATIONS: The floors of the current pit opera'~iona
<br />are hard packed sandy gravelly loam material, A feet minor areas of
<br />silty clay loam were noticed,
<br />A small spring-fed pond has been developed in the area of Pit No, 2,
<br />RECLAMATION RECOMMENDATIONS: Reclamation procedures will consist .:f
<br />developing workable elopes, water control, topsoiling, and eetablasbmont
<br />of native vegetation for future use ae rangeland,
<br />.
<br />SLOPES: While natural slopes of 30 to 50 percent can be found on tho `
<br />gravel slopes of the undisturbed escarpment, they are stable only becauso •
<br />a protective cobble blanket has accumulated on the surface during the
<br />natural, long, slow process of land form development,
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