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• P • 11 June 18, 1985 Daniel's Pit 2 C. Farrell Item 10 - As mentioned in Castle Concrete Company's Sand Pit amendment application, settling ponds are present on the northern boundary of the area west of Academy Boulevard. Please discuss the location, function, and reclamation of the settling ponds. RESPONSE: These ponds are readily apparent on the map. They are located against the south wall of the dike separating the two operations. These settling ponds, as the name implies, are used to settle solids out of materials washed in the plant. Due to a new process being used, these ponds are not used as much now as they were in the past. The material in these ponds, because it was water settled, is not suitable for use as a building site. Therefore, in order to alter its texture and provide for compaction these will be spread out into Castle Concrete's Sand Pit and compacted to provide a foundation for further fill in the reclamation of that area. Therefore, the material in this area will become part of the backfill for the Sand Pit and will establish the foundation for the "building site" which will extend from the back of the Sand Pit to Bradley Road. Exhibit E - Reclamation Plan Item 1 - Please discuss the possibility of creating "plant growth media" by incorporating excavated clay lenses, manure, mulch, and chemical fertilizers into the fines planned to be utilized as "top- dressing", specifically on the areas west of Academy Boulevard where topsoil is lacking. RESPONSE: Creating suitable plant growth media is always a problem i on land that is deficient in soils or even has very poor soils. Much of the reclamation work done by Castle Concrete Company is on previously mined land where soil is scarce or totally absent. Because they have considerable experience in the revegetation of "spoil", Daniel's Sand will be drawing upon their experience. Manure would certainly be highly beneficial, but it is not available in large quantities in the Colorado Springs area. Clay lenses do not occur in this material. Additional minus 200 particles would need to be hauled in. Chemical fertilizer is about all that is left to use on the materials. These, of course, will be used as soil tests indicate. We feel that they should have a limited use. We do not wish to develop a "hydroponic" situation. Instead, by using a combination of deep rooted species and shallow rooted species, they can work together to eventually create a soil in those areas where it is deficient.