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3-1 <br />3.0 RECLAMATION PLAN <br />This reclamation plan addresses rehabilitation of the McClane Canyon Mine located in <br />Garfield County, Colorado. The area is located in a zone of transition between saltbrush desert and <br />pinyon juniper woodland. Precipitation is about : 0 inches annually and soils are derived mainly <br />from sandstone alluvium / colluvium. Although precipitation is low, soils aze more favorable for <br />reclamation than the shale derived soils of many salt desert areas. Research and demonstration of <br />reclamation in salt desert has been reported in the works of McKell, VanEpps, and co-workers in <br />Utah. A bibliography of those works and other relevant works is contained at the end of this <br />section. These works have demonstrated the need for the use of adapted native plant species and <br />maintenance of favorable soil moisture through mulching, surface manipulation, and/or limited <br />irrigation. The land uses prior to mining activity were wildlife habitat and rangeland. The site will <br />be returned to these land uses followir._ mining. <br />Sites to be reclaimed include the mine portal and facilities area, the haul road, the sediment <br />pond, topsoil storage and the office areas (see Reclamation Map, Figure 3.I-I). Of these areas to <br />be reclaimed, all but the sediment pond, topsoil storage and office areas were disturbed prior <br />SMCRA. Removal of topsoil is therefore confined to those areas which were or are to be disturbed <br />after the enactment of SMCRA. That portion of the haul road existing prior to mining will be <br />reclaimed even though access for local ranchers using areas to the east will be eliminated. <br />Mc <br />Volume 1 October 17, 2001 <br />~ZI <br />