Laserfiche WebLink
<br />-13- <br /> <br />Vegetative communities in the area of the mine can be separated into two <br />physiognomic types; the low grassland and riparian communities along the <br />valley bottom containing the Purgatoire River, and forest communities <br />dominating the slopes of the river valley. <br />Communities on the north facing slope and the river valley were inventoried <br />and found to contain four distinct vegetative communities at the Allen Mine <br />area; a Ponderosa Pine-Douglas fir oak community, a Ponderosa pine-oak <br />community, a grassland community, and a riparian willow Carr community. <br />The Ponderosa pine-Douglas fir-oak community is found on the north facing <br />slope above the mine facilities at elevations above 7,600 feet. The overstory <br />consists of mature Ponderosa pine and Oouglas fir with interspersed Pinon pine <br />and Rocky Mountain juniper. The dominant shrub species is Gambel's oak. <br />Cover is relatively sparse (12%) and productivity is low (63 lb/ac). <br />The Ponderosa pine-oak community occurs on the north facing slopes above 7,500 <br />feet on the eastern two-thirds of the permit area. Pure Ponderosa pine stands <br />are interspersed with Gambel's oak, Pinon pine, and Rocky Mountain juniper. <br />Cover is low (4%) as is productivity (44 lb/ac). <br />The grassland community was inventoried at the Maxwell Mine on a plateau above <br />the river at 7,200 feet elevation, since no undisturbed grassland communities <br />could be found at the Allen Mine. Dominant species were blue grams, and <br />western wheatgrass with many minor graminoids and fortis. Sage and snakeweed <br />were the dominant shrubs. Cover was moderate (18%) as was productivity (560 <br />lb/ac). <br />The willow carr riparian community is located in the Purgatoire River drainage <br />at an elevation of 7,400 feet~at the Allen Mine. The dominant species was <br />willow with a diverse graminoid and forb understory. Cover is high (43%) as <br />is productivity (2,140 lb/ac). <br />Soils in the area range from very shallow on the steep side slopes to deep, <br />well drained loans with a dark colored surface layer found in the valley <br />bottom along the Purgatoire River. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plan <br />Of the 3,585 acres to be permitted by CF&I, 155 acres will be disturbed by <br />surface facilities. Most of this surface disturbance has already occurred. <br />The existing operation consists of several benches used for storage, office <br />and shop buildings, railroad tracks, 2 portals, conveyors and coal silos, <br />substations, fans and air shafts, a water tank, a parking lot, three sediment <br />ponds and associated ditches and culverts, roads, and refuse disposal areas. <br />No additional surface facilities are planned. <br />Coal will be removed at a rate of 1,000,000 tans per year. The projected <br />remaining mine life is 10 years. <br />~, <br />l <br />