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Just to the east of the tipple area, the groundwater level is expressed in a stagnant pond. This water <br />level is very neaz to the original land surface. The water level in this pond is maintained by water <br />from the Illinois River flowing through alluvium, and from snowmelt and thundershowers. The <br />water in the pond is predominantly a calcium and bicarbonate type that is alkaline in nature and low <br />in dissolved and suspended loads. <br />Soils of the Marr Mine areas are predominately sandy clay loam and clay textures (Table 42a in the <br />permit application). The 720 Pit soils consist of mainly Coalmont clay, Aaberg-Barishment <br />complex clays, and areas of very minor Fluetsch sandy clay loams. The Coalmont soils aze <br />classified as fine, montmorillonitic Borollic Camborthids and fine, montmorillonitic Borollic <br />Paleargids, respectively. Fluetsch soils are classified as fine-loamy, Waxed Borollic Haplazgids. All <br />of these soils have high clay contents. The Pit 1 soils consist of Coalmont clays and Cryorthents <br />(clayey in this case), with al] soils having clay percentages of 50 or more. Pit 2 soils consist of <br />Coalmont sandy clay loamy and Cryorthents with surface clay overlain on sandy clay subsoil. Pit 3 <br />soils are mainly Gelkie sandy clay loamy (fine-loamy, mixed Argic Cryoborolls). Some minor <br />amounts of Coalmont sandy clay loams also occur in the Pit 3 azea. <br />Topsoil suitability ratings are listed in Table 43a of the permit application. In general, all soils in <br />the Pit 1 area are rated as poor as topsoil sources because of high clay content. Pit 2 soils are rated <br />good except for Cryorthents, which are rated as poor because of the high clay content (surface soil) <br />or high SAR (subsoil). Pit 3 soils are generally rated as good topsoil sources. The 720 Pit azea was <br />stripped of topsoil between 1974 and the March 20, 1981, permit issuance, so a six-inch layer of <br />topsoil was saved and stockpiled regardless of the suitability rating. <br />Soils in the area of the tipple were not removed prior to construction, since the tipple was built prior <br />to the existence of topsoil salvaging requirements (page 780-64). Additionally, fill material of a <br />sandy loam to loamy sand texture was brought in to improve foundation material, drainage and <br />elevation, due to the proximity of the water table to the surface. Therefore, soil at the site was <br />either buried or used to construct the berm that surrounds the site to the south and east. <br />Vegetation <br />The vegetation at the Marr permit area is described as a sagebrush steppe. Big sagebrush <br />(Artemisia tridentata) predominates most aeeas, although alkali sagebrush (Artemisia longaloba) <br />communities are found. Absolute cover at the site ranges from 35 to 45 percent. Sagebrush and <br />rabbitbmsh make up 60 percent of the relative cover while fortis and grasses equally split the <br />remainder. Phlox is the predominate forb and wheatgrasses are the major grasses. Productivity <br />ranges from 450 to 750 pounds per acre. <br />The tipple was built on fill, which was imported to raise the surface above the meadowland/marsh <br />community. Carex is the predominate species of the community. (Production was measured at <br />2784 pounds per acre. Vegetation covered 83 percent of the site, with 78 percent of that vegetation <br />being sedges.) <br />Marr Mine Pernilt Renewa104 <br />1 l January, 2002 <br />-7- <br />