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~.~ United States SOIL Department of CONSERVATION Agriculture SERVICE Subiect: Recommendations Mine Land Reclamation, Gravel Pit To: Mr. James Nichols Construction Management Consultants P.O. Box 8774 Fort Collins, CO 80525 Dear Mr. Nichols: Date: June 16, 1988 As per your request, a seeding plan has been developed for about 100 acres of land located in the SW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 27, T. 5 N., R. 68 W, and a portion of the NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 21, T. 5 N., R. 68 W., and a portion of the E 1/2 of Section 20, T. 5 N., R. 68 W. The mining company is Jake Kauffman & Son Inc. A portion of the unit is an abandoned sugar beet processing lime settling pond and the remainder is riparian areas along the Big Thompson River. A minimum 100 toot buffer along the river corridor should be maintained. This buffer should apply to both the active channel and any oxbow wetlands associated with the river. According to the Lorimer County soil survey, the dominant soils in this unit are #33, Fluvaquents, nearly level; #60, Larim gravelly sandy loam, 5 to 40 percent slopes; #64, Loveland clay loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes; #92, Riverwash; and #105 Table Mountain loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes. For information about, and location of the soil mapping units, refer to the attached soils map and general soils descriptions. The dominant natural range sites on this unit are Wet Meadow (on mast of the unit), Overflow, and Gravelly Plains. In this area the plant species on a Wet Meadow range site would include switchgrass, big bluestem, western wheatgrass, Indiangrass, and sedges. The proposed use after reclamation is open water recreation and permanent wildlife habitat. Large trees occur in significant numbers along the southern edge of the abandoned lime pond. As we discussed on site, a recommendation is to save the large trees by using an irregular shoreline and maintaining a buffer strip along the river. A buffer strip shaped to a point could save the large trees on the southwest corner of the abandoned lime pond and a curved point from the west edge of the property angling towards the river could be used to save the trees along the southeast corner on the abandoned lime pond. The rest of the larger trees will be within the minimum 100 foot buffer along the river corridor. I'm not sure if this is feasible from a mining standpoint. Maintaining these large trees will cost the mining company gravel, but would enhance the wildlife and recreation values after reclamation is completed. I~~ I~II~II~ I I 2625 Redwing Road• Suite 250 Fort Collins, Colorado 80526