Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Most of the soil found in the mine plan area contain at least six inches of <br />suitable topsoil material. The best sources of topsoil material are the <br />Splitro silt loam, the Winevada Loam, and the Cochetopa Loam which comprise <br />approximately 60% of the area to be disturbed. Salvage depths range from 6 to <br />64 inches, resulting in an overall soil replacement depth of 1.7 feet over <br />regraded areas. The tie-across haul road corridor area will have an overall <br />soil replacement depth of 1.1 feet. <br />Vegetation in the vicinity of the mine is characterized by three vegetative <br />types; mixed brush, sagebrush grassland, and aspen. Land use in this area is <br />undeveloped rangeland, with a small area classified as industrial due to an <br />oil well site. Because of livestock grazing, shrubs have increased in density <br />while fortis and grasses have decreased. <br />Vegetation in the vicinity of the tie-across haul road is characterized by <br />four vegetative types: low sagebrush, meadow, cropland, and greasewood. Land <br />use in this area is non-irrigated cropland, industrial and rangeland. The <br />non-irrigated cropland is used primarily for winter wheat production. The <br />designated industrial area classification is the permitted Hayden Gulch Mine <br />Loadout. <br />Numerous wildlife species inhabit the general area of the mine site and <br />tie-across haul road. The most predominant big game species are elk and <br />deer. Common raptors are golden eagle, red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, <br />marsh hawk and American kestrel. The greater sandhill crane occurs in the <br />area of the tie-across haul road with an active staging area for these birds <br />located approximately .75 miles north of the road. The application has been <br />reviewed by both the U S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Division of <br />Wildlife. <br />As part of a cultural resource inventory conducted for the proposed mine area <br />10 sites and 5 isolated finds were identified. Of these only 2 were <br />considered significant: one rock art site and one potential large campsite. <br />The rock art site is not located within the permit boundary, and the campsite <br />is not proposed to be disturbed. <br />Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan <br />The proposed Seneca II-W Mine will be a surface mine. Mining will be <br />conducted using conventional dragline methods. For more economic recovery the <br />mine pits will be oriented perpendicular to the outcrop. Mining will occur in <br />two separate pits within the permit boundary. This 5 year permit term covers <br />mining in the southern portion of the lease area only. Both pits will mine <br />the Wadge coal seam, from the cropline to approximately 100 feet in depth. <br />The Lennox seam will be recovered where practical. The coal in the mine pit <br />area dips approximately 18 to 25 percent. <br />Coal to be mined is owned by <br />Peabody Coal Company through <br />portion of coal to be mined <br />by the Hayden Public Library <br />Service Corporation. <br />the Federal government and is under sublease to <br />the Materials Service Corporation. A small <br />in the southern portion of the south pit is owned <br />and subleased to Peabody through Materials <br />-9 - <br />