1981-08-12_REVISION - M1977184 (3)

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Mined Land Reclamation Board August 10, 1981 Page 4 few inches to several feet in depth. It is highly localized and concentrated. Some of the thicker deposits have consolidated chemiV,ally into a "stone" that has the texture and hardness of talc. All topsoil salvage has strictly avoided these deposits and will continue to avoid them. Most of this material (sugar lime) has been spoiled and is rarely evident in any partially finished surfaces . Topsoil has been stockpiled from areas already mined . Some of the topsoil stockpiles are very difficult to see unless one knows where they are. The weeds on the piles are quite high and tend to obscure the form of the piles as well as blend with surrounding areas due to similar coloration. Most of the topsoil stockpiles look like berms . On the west side of the southwestern lake, one very long, low stockpile is located (see revised excavation map) . The pile is approximately 300 feet long, 25 feet wide and has an average depth of about 8 feet . This stockpile contains about 2, 250 cubic yards of a silty loam soil of good to excellent quality. On the east side of the southeastern lake is a much larger stockpile. This pile contains about 10, 000 cubic yards of a silty loam with some larger cobbles and slighly more clay con- tent than that found in the southwestern stockpile. The soil is of good quality and would be useful in topdressing. A third stockpile, located near the northwestern corner of the affected land, is comprised of a sandy , silty loam and contains about 2, 500 to 3,000 cubic yards of topsoil . This material is not quite as good as the other soils, but it is adequate for topdressing. Along the northern boundary of the affected land is another stockpile about 600 to 800 feet long, 30 feet wide , and about 10 feet deep. It contains about 7,000 to 9,000 cubic yards of material, but much of this material is contaminated with the sugar lime deposit . It is estimated that about 2 ,000 to 3, 000 cubic yards in this pile would be useful as topdressing. The remainder would be useful for backfilling. All of the stockpiles discussed above contain a total of approximately 17, 500 cubic yards of soils suitable for top- dressing as of mid-1981 . If 8 inches is used on pit slopes and other areas that will receive the major revegetation work, there is sufficient soil aready stockpiled to cover about 16 to 17 acres .