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Introduction <br />The Coal Basin Mine was an active underground coal mining operation located at <br />approximately 10,000 feet elevation in western Pitkin County. During construction of the <br />mine in the 1950's and 1960's, steep, unconsolidated fill slopes were constructed below <br />each mine entry azea. These long, steep and highly erosive slopes are collectively termed <br />mine bench outslopes. <br />The eroding mine bench outslopes had been identified as significant contributory sources <br />of iron beazing sediment to local receiving streams; Coal and Dutch Creeks. <br />In order to facilitate stabilization of these structures, the Division of Reclamation, Mining <br />and Safety (formerly the Division of Minerals and Geology, and hereafter referred to as <br />the Division) determined to revegetated the slopes, and create natural sediment barriers at <br />the toe of each. In order to facilitate this work the Division applied for aNon-Point <br />Source grant. <br />The overall goal of the project was to minimize to the extent possible addition of iron- <br />laden sediment from the mine bench outslopes to both Coal and Dutch Creeks and their <br />tributaries. This goal was to be met by implementing Best Management Practices that <br />focused on vegetative stabilization of the steep outslopes, and retention of sediment <br />through the use of vegetative sediment barriers at the toe of the outslopes. In order to <br />establish these vegetative BMP's many subsidiary tasks had to be completed. <br />Site stabilization work was initiated at the mine bench outslopes in 1999. Follow-up <br />work was completed in 2000, followed by monitoring over the next three years. At that <br />time the Division decided that additional stabilization work at the site would greatly <br />enhance stability of the mine bench outslopes. Supplementary work was undertaken in <br />2004. The 2004 work was more successful than that accomplished in 1999, and lead to a <br />greater degree of site stabilization. Data collected and used in a sediment yield model <br />indicates that the project was successful in reducing sediment generation from most of <br />the treated slopes. <br />