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1994 and 1995 were extremely dry and extremely wet yeazs, respectively. The extreme <br />weather during those years was most likely a major cause of the fluctuations in <br />herbaceous production from one year to the next. The vegetation study submitted by Sun <br />Coal Company indicates that all of the dominant species on the reclaimed site persisted <br />through these years and produced the equivalent of 1,024 and 3,052 pounds of forage per <br />acre in 1994 and 1995, respectively. Hay fields in Routt county produce an average of <br />3,300 pounds per yeaz. Most of those fields are at lower elevations and on more level <br />ground than the Meadows No. 1 Mine. Based on the current species diversity and <br />herbaceous production levels, it would appeaz that the reclaimed mine site is capable of <br />supporting the post-mine land uses of grazing and wildlife habitat. <br />Erosion and Depgsition <br />At the Meadows No. 1 Mine, there is no available baseline data regarding pre-mine <br />sediment contribution. Adjacent non-mined areas are inordinately dissimilar in vegetative <br />type. Non-mined areas are characterized by a dense cover of shrubs, with sparse grass <br />and forb understory and thick ground litter. The pit area, at the request of the <br />landowner and with the approval of this Division and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, <br />has been reclaimed for use as rangeland with no shrub component. Vegetation on the <br />reclaimed areas consists mainly of grasses, rendering comparisons of the two areas <br />questionable. <br />On August 20, 1995, June 20, 1996, and September 18, 1996, the Division conducted site <br />inspections for the purpose of determining the soil stability of reclaimed areas. The <br />reclaimed pit areas were examined during all three inspections, and the Sage/Grass <br />Vegetation Reference Area, and an adjacent non-mined area were examined during the <br />1995 inspection. The Division's observations were that most of the reclaimed area had <br />an adequate cover of vegetation and litter to effectively preclude any significant loss of <br />soil from the reclaimed area. Erosion had occurred in the past on portions of the <br />reclaimed area with lesser vegetative cover, but there is little evidence of ongoing soil <br />movement in these areas at this time. Supporting this finding was the low frequency of <br />observed soil pedestals, with none found to be higher than 1 inch; the absence of gravel <br />deposition on soil pedestals; the presence of a fairly uniform distribution of gravel size <br />particles on small areas with minimal vegetative cover; and the lack of headcutting and <br />the presence of vegetation in existing erosional features. <br />Since final reclamation was completed, rill and gully repair on the reclaimed pit area has <br />been required. Recent repairs have been limited to pre-existing gullies formed at <br />breaches of the lateral ditches originally placed to prevent concentrated flow features. <br />The ditches were removed in 1994, 1995, and 1996. There are no signs of significant <br />erosion recently occurring on any of the pit area owned by Grassy Creek Coal Company. <br />The absence of recent erosional features and minimal sediment deposition on reclaimed <br />land or in the sediment ponds indicate that reclaimed lands are not contributing excessive <br />suspended solids to streamflow or runoff outside the permit area, and that the soil of the <br />reclaimed area is stable. <br />Meadows No. 1 Mine 7 Phan III Bond Release <br />