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the vegetation in disturbed and undisturbed areas of the drainage, with special emphasis on the wetland mitigation <br />areas, as part of a final report. It is suspected that the wetland mitigation program has been successful and can be <br />approved, but the final report is needed for confirmation and documentation. A copy of the report on this intensive <br />study will be provided the Division and the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners when it is completed. It <br />is expected to be completed by the middle to late September, 2002. <br />Bottomland Revegetation: South Lowland Reclamation Area <br />The revegetation of the three south lowland areas is progressing quite well. The two areas on the most <br />southerly end of this part of the permit are not ready for consideration of release. However, the large area on the <br />north end of this part of the permit is clearly ready for consideration. <br />The stream channel azea that was mined shows a very dense, diverse, and well developed wetland <br />vegetation throughout the channel. Woody growth (willows and cottonwoods) are abundant throughout the <br />somewhat drier portions of the channel area. The more moist portions show a dense growth of Scirpus, Juncus, <br />Ranunculus, and many other lesser species, including dense growths of a species ofMimulus (monkey flower). <br />Cover is between 40% and 100%. Bird nesting in the wetland azeas is at a high level. Although cattle have <br />obviously traversed the area, as evidenced by all the tracks, grazing has been very limited due to a severe lack of <br />any species that cattle typically graze. Many hydrophytes are not grazed by cattle due to the rather tough and <br />fibrous epidermal layer that helps protect the soft, open inner tissues that allow gas transport from the air to the <br />stems to the roots so the roots can obtain oxygen for respiration in the typically anoxic hydric soils. <br />It is of particular note that areas where the sand was removed and the underlying clay layer was left, the <br />wetland vegetation development is very robust. But where some sand remains over the clay the wetland <br />development decreases in proportion to the depth of the sand. Where the sand is more than about a foot thick, little <br />wetland development has occurred and what few hydrophytes are present are those like Juncus balticu.r that can <br />extend several feet into the soil to obtain deeper water. Otherwise, these azeas contain only woody riparian species <br />and a few other species that can withstand limited moisture exposure but not extended periods in saturated soils. <br />The slopes of the mining have a highly variable vegetation cover that is similar to natural slope vegetation. <br />For the most part the growth is sparse with local areas of denser growth. This, in part, is a response to the sandy <br />soils on the banks as well as the adverse effects of the cattle grazing that is allowed to occur freely over the site <br />under a grazing lease from the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners. (Note: Schmidt has nothing to do <br />with the grazing lease. That lease overlaps Schmidt's mining lease and therefore grazing is allowed to occur on <br />reclaimed lands.) <br />This area of wetland vegetation development (in addition to many others) will be included in the report <br />described previously and which will be provided to the Corps of Engineers, the Division, and the Colorado State <br />Boazd of Land Commissioners. <br />Reclamation Status -Coal Creek Resources M-1988-044 August 2002 Page 7 of 10 <br />