Laserfiche WebLink
• As delineated under Subsections 4.15.7 and 2.05.4, Colowyo will <br />establish reference areas for the purpose of comparing vegetation <br />information between the reclaimed area and the undisturbed area. <br />Herbaceous Cover <br />Herbaceous cover of the revegetated area will be considered <br />adequate for final bond release if it is not less than 90$ of the <br />cover as determined from the reference areas with a 90$ statistical <br />confidence. <br />A higher percentage of herbaceous cover is not practical or <br />desirable for the following reasons: <br />1. It is well documented that in the mountain shrub zone the <br /> establishment of shrubs to reach bond release levels has <br /> proven to be very difficult. Perhaps the most <br /> detrimental condition effecting shrub establishment is <br /> the competition from herbaceous vegetation. At a minimum <br /> herbaceous cover levels should approximate the premining <br /> condition. If the herbaceous levels to be obtained were <br /> set higher than the premining condition, the ability to <br /> achieve bond release levels for shrubs would be most <br /> adversely effected. Higher levels of herbaceous cover <br /> would out compete the woody vegetation and hinder its <br />_ successful establishment. <br />• <br />2. In the mountain shrub zone it is important to have <br /> adequate herbaceous cover to provide for erosion control. <br /> The reference areas at Colowyo indicate herbaceous cover <br /> values of 41.8$ and 30.17 for the mountain shrub and <br /> sage reference areas, respectively. <br />Colowyo is located at approximately 7,300 feet in <br />elevation. The period of highest potential erosion <br />occurs in the springtime during snowmelt. At this time <br />of year, erosion control is provided almost exclusively <br />by the herbaceous vegetation. Erosion control by the <br />shrub cover is virtually insignificant since •the <br />potential erosion occurs from snowmelt rather than <br />raindrop impact. Therefore, if pre-mining levels of <br />herbaceous vegetative cover can;`be re-established, <br />logically a comparable level of erosion control will be <br />achieved. <br />3. The ability to achieve adequate levels of herbaceous <br />cover at Colowyo is, without question, quite possible. <br />The vegetative monitoring completed at Colowyo during the <br />last few years, and summarized in the Annual Reports, <br />indicates that the premining levels of herbaceous cover <br />are easily achieved. <br /> <br />4.15-13 <br />