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EARTIIMOVINC: <br />TOPSOIL SALVAGE -Topsoil salvage on this side of Academy Boulevard is considerably <br />• more involved, especially during the first third of the operation. Unlike the west side of Academy <br />Boulevard, soil resources on this side of the highway ate icant (see Exhibit I, Soils Information). <br />The variations in the depth and quality of soil do not allow a precise description of the depth of <br />salvage that will occur. Instead, a range Of depths is provided. 1`he primary method of determining <br />when soil salvage stops at any particular location is by the appearance of the soil. Soil salvage will <br />occur until the color of the material being removed changes from dark to light. The point where the <br />upper, more organic soil changes to the lighter subsoil is usually well defined. This indicator can <br />reliably be used as a guide during the soil salvage process. The depth of this layer varies from about <br />four inches to about six to eight inches. In isolated hollows where moisture has helped create a <br />richer plant growth, and soil development has been more extensive, soil depths of a foot or more are <br />possible. However, it is also expected that soils to this depth will be quite rare. On the average <br />about five inches of soil will be available for removal before the subsoil and sand is encountered. <br />Soil removal will be by means of a dozer, in most cases. For small areas where only a little <br />soil needs to be removed, a loader can effectively remove the soil. Usually, soil salvage will occur <br />over an area that will be operated for a period of about one to two years. Stripping more soil than <br />~ that would expose too much land to erosion. Assuming the average depth of soil salvage is five <br />inches, about 700 cubic yards of soil will be removed per acre. Usually, no more than two to four <br />acres will be stripped at any one time. If the average is three acres then about 2000 to 2200 cubic <br />yards will be stripped at a time. It needs to be understood that this volume is based on assumed <br />averages and that there will probably be a great deal of variation from area to area. <br />• Wherever possible, the stripped soil will be stockpiled in the location where it is pushed or <br />will be hauled directly to reclamation areas in Phase 5E. But in the early stages of Phase lE and <br />2E, haulage of this soil to other locations for stockpiling will be necessary. When this needs to be <br />done, it will usually be stockpiled near the location where the soil will ultimately be used. This <br />avoids the need to haul it to one location for storage and then haul it again to another location for <br />distribution. <br />Wherever soil is stockpiled for more than one growing season the soil will be protected from <br />wind and water erosion. This protection will be with vegetation. For details on soil protection refer <br />to Exhibit E, Reclamation Plan. <br />Each of the sequence maps located at the end of this exhibit shows where topsoil will be <br />stockpiled at any one time. The dimensions of each stockpile are necessarily conceptual. It cannot <br />be predicted with accuracy how much actual soil will be derived from any particular area. Without <br />knowing that volume, there is no way to determine exactly how large any stockpiles will be. <br />Therefore, the maps show where soil will be stockpiled, but are not intended to represent exactly how <br />much will be stockpiled at any one time, or how much land surface the stockpiles will actually cover. <br />East of Academy Mining Plan Page D-12 <br />