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<br />Topsoil removal and stockpiling can be incorporated into some <br />mining plans where the removal of overburden is necessary to gain <br />access to the ore or mineral. Most strip mines and some open-pit <br />mines may be able to economically stockpile and use topsoil for <br />reclamation because the only additional requirement is segregation <br />of topsoil from subsoil during initial and final phases of handling <br />overburden. It must be recognized, however, that some topsoil is <br />not worth saving. The cost of saving sparse rocky soils in rugged <br />terrain may reduce or eliminate the economic incentive to remove <br />and replace soil unless it can be accomplished with little or no <br />additional expense as part of the mining process. Reasonable <br />reclamation is the desired goal, but economics to achieve that goal <br />must also be considered. <br />2. Manure is the next most desirable amendment, however, large <br />surpluses of manure within a practical hauling distance are <br />essentially nonexistent. Heavy applications of manure (as with <br />heavy applications of most fertilizers) also pose the potential <br />problem of pollution to the watershed through leaching. <br />3. Sewage sludge i s an excellent fertilizer, but some care must be <br />taken to limit the application rate. Certain type<.; of sewage <br />sludge inhibit or retard plant germination and growth when applied <br />too heavily. There is the potential of salt and heavy metals <br />accumulation in the soil resulting from continued applications of <br />sewage sludge. Research on Denver sewage indicates that the <br />application of 200 tons/acre over a period of years can add <br />measurable amounts of salts and heavy metals in the soil. In <br />addition, there is the possibility of nitrate pollution to the <br />watershed with excessive application and subsequent leaching. The <br />longevities and nutrient contents of sewage and manure are similar. <br />An indirect advantage of using sewage is that of putting a waste <br />product to beneficial use. Denver produces about 10(i tons (dry <br />weight) of sewage per day and disposal has been a major problem. <br />3 <br />