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1 Soils in the area have been derived dominantly from alluvial and eolian sediments. Soils in the floodplain of Kiowa Creek have formed in sandy and gravelly alluvium and are commonly less than 36 inches deep over unconsolidated sand and gravel. Tex- tures are loam to clay loam and are stratified. Thin sand, silt, ' or gravel layers may occur within the soil. Available water capacity ranges from low to high, and permeability is slow to very rapid. Electrical conductivity is 0 to 8 mmhos/cm. Soils on nearly level to moderately sloping uplands to the east of the ' permit area are more than 60" deep and well to somewhat exces- sively drained. The Blakeland and Truckton soils are dominant in this area. These soils consist of loamy sands, sands, and sandy looms that have rapid permeability and low available water capa- city. Electrical conductivity is less than 2 mmhos/cm and pH ranges from 6.1 to 7.8. Figure 3 shows a soil map of the area surrounding the permit area. Detailed soli map unit descriptions are in the Soil Survey of Adams County, Colorado (USDA, 1974). EXHIBIT E - Reclamation Plan ' The existing land use of the permit area is discontinued gravel operations. Prior to the gravel operations the land-use was rangeland and had an extensive cover of native grasses and shrubs such as little bluestem, side-oats grama, switchgrass, ' blue grama, sand drop seed, three-awn, needleandthread, sand sagebrush, yucca, snakeweed, and sagewort. ' The proposed post-mining land-use is to return the mined land to rangeland or a combination of range pasture and feedlot. To the west of the gravel field the operator has 55-60 acres of ' land in hay. He would like to add to this number the 9.8 acres within the proposed permit boundary. Because previous mining activities did not include a reclamation plan, very little topsoil remains for respreading over contoured waste material and ' overburden, and consequently, the area may not support an alfalfa hay field without costly cultural amendments; for this reason a mix of dryland grasses is planned for seeding. Because of the proximity of the hayfields, about 4 acres of the permit area may ' be turned into a feedlot and hay stacking area. Reclamation costs are based on returning the entire area to rangeland, however. ' ' ' Gradi ng. The existing grade i s about 4 -5 above the hay fields to the west (see figure 1). Once gravel operations are ' completed and all gravel deposits have been mined the area will be graded to final contours. This will include a slope gradient of approximately 1':100' in a westerly direction. When final ' contours are achieved the stockpiled overburden and topsoil will be re spread over the disked contoured surface. 1 9