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<br />• There are five (5.0) acres of waste in the WPA. The waste is in a portion of WFC's <br />noncoal waste disposal site. Cover soil will be borrowed from the undisturbed area east of <br />the site. Salvaging depth will be approximately 15 inches over two (2) acres. Sufficient <br />subsoil will be left to revegetate the borrow area. <br />The EPA area contains approximately twenty-two (22) acres of surface waste. <br />Therefore, eleven (11) acre feet of cover soil will be required to cover the entire twenty- <br />two (22) acres with at least 6 inches. Two (2) acres (1 acre-foot) was topsoiled during the <br />Middle Fork diversion construction. WFC is proposing to leave one acre-foot (2 acres of <br />cover) of topsoil from the refuse disposal area topsoil piles. Four (4) acre-feet of topsoil <br />(present stockpile) will be used on the active waste dump. This leaves a net five (5) acre- <br />feet required to cover the remaining waste. WFC proposed to remove 5000 yd3 (3 acre- <br />feet) from the embankments of Ponds 006 and 007 (approximately one-half of the total <br />embankment volume) and use this to cover waste. The remaining two (2) acre-feet will be <br />borrowed from an area which has no waste. The most likely area will be south of the New <br />Elk Industrial Building. <br />• The post-mining land use configuration is shown on Figure 2. WFC is proposing <br />grassland and riparian habitat. Reclamation to grassland meets the post-mining use of <br />this property very well. WFC currently leases adjacent property for grazing. Because <br />grazable forage is limited by steep slopes, the additional grassland acreage provided on <br />Figure 2 will enhance revenues for land management. In addition, this grassland area <br />(excluding upper elevations) will have the potential to be flood irrigated. Post-mining <br />contours (Map 15 of the New Elk Permit Application) indicate the potential exists for <br />flood irrigation. Water would, however, have to be pumped from the Purgatoire to an <br />elevation above the existing railroad grade. It could then be ditched to grassland areas <br />for hay and small grain production. A farming or ranching enterprise would have to <br />evaluate the cost/benefit of installing and maintaining a pump to operate such a system. <br />The riparian habitat configuration is designed to conform to topographic position <br />which will support this habitat. The two main areas of riparian habitat will be in the area <br />of sediment Ponds 004, 006 and 007. These areas are at an elevation where a seasonal <br />water table would be encountered to support such a community. Waste deposition <br />adjacent to the river in the remaining area severely limits the potential for riparian <br />• habitat. Depth to the existing water table underneath waste averages 25 to 30 feet. This <br />depth will preclude supporting riparian community. <br />-6- <br />