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stabilized. Vegetation has emerged in the sides and bottom of the channel. During the bond release inspection, a small depression was observed on the extreme west end of the Center Ridge release azea. The depression was cone-shaped, roughly 4' deep at its deepest point, with an approximate 20' diameter. It appeared that the area was no longer settling, as there were no new scarps apparent in or azound the feature. Vegetation had reestablished on the scarp faces from the initial movement. The West Ridge azea has been graded to the approved post-mining topography, with minor exceptions. Reconstructed drainage patterns and slope gradients are as approved. The steepest slope on the regraded azea, which is in the drainage between Terraces 8 and 9 (S'/zN W'/< Sec. 24), is a 30% slope. The west edge of the reclaimed West Ridge pit area is banked by a berm which is roughly 4' tall. This is a sl fight deviation from the approved post-mine topography, which called for a small ridge to be placed roughly 75' in from the edge of the pit azea boundary. The existing configuration, however, ensures that drainage from the disturbed area will drain to the West Ridge pond and not to the west onto undisturbed land. The Center Ridge/West Ridge draw is shifted approximately 100 feet east of the premining topography. The operator has attributed the origin of this deviation to oversights in the initial overburden volumetrics calculations done by P&M, where the interface of the Center Ridge mining and reoriented West Ridge pits occurred. The Division finds that this minor relocation of the draw is not problematic, since the configuration and slope of the original drainage has been reestablished. The fourteen terraces and twenty-one check dams, which were permitted under Permit Revision No. 2, have been constructed as designed in the approved permit application package. The hydrologic reconstruction was found to be necessary when regraded slopes above the Center Ridge/West Ridge draw were observed to be unstable. The system of check dams and terraces was designed to minimize erosion and sediment loading in the West Ridge area. The structures aze in excellentconditionand functioning as intended. A large precipitation event (in excess of a 100 yeaz-24 hour event) in the summer of 1996 displaced the channel armor on a number of the check dams. The operator reconstructed all of the dams, and improved them by placing a filter fabric beneath the rip rap lining of the spillways. The performance of the structures, designed fora 10-year, 24-hour event, against such a large event indicates that the drainage of the reclaimed area has been successfullyreestablished. The drainage system, an approved deviation from the premining drainage configuration, is compatible with the approved postmining land use of rangeland and wildlife habitat. Edna Mine 7 Bond Release No 2