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Section 785.19(d) Continued. <br />The most prolonged and unavoidable impact of mining on surface and <br />ground water systems will be a slight elevation of dissolved solids <br />concentration. As discussed in Sectlon 780.21, salt loading is <br />caused primarily by leaching of overburden and by evaporation from <br />sedimentation ponds. However, as previously discussed in this <br />section, salt loading will not result in sufficiently high salt <br />concentrations so as to result in any material damage to alluvial <br />valley floors. The effect of reclamation on salt loading will be <br />to reduce weathering, infiltration and leaching of overburden <br />material by the replacement of topsoil and vegetation, and to <br />eliminate excess evaporation by the removal of sedimentation ponds <br />upon completion of reclamation. Thus, the causes of salt loading <br />will be minimized to a large extent by reclamation. <br />Another effect of mining on alluvial valley floors will be the re- <br />• duction in surface water flow due to the impoundment of water in <br />sedimentation ponds. Again, it hae been shown in this section that <br />this effect will not cause material damage. The removal and recla- <br />mation of sedimentation pond embankments will help to restore the <br />premising streamflow regime in the mine plan and adjacent area. <br />Finally, the reclamation plan calls for restoration of all dis- <br />turbed areas to approximate original contour, including restoring <br />stream channels to original geometry and grade. Topsoil redistri- <br />bution, prompt revegetation, mulching and contour furrowing will <br />all aid in re-establishing the original rates of runoff, erosion, <br />infiltration, evapotranspiration, and ground water recharge, as <br />demonstrated in Section 780.21. In summary, the proposed reclama- <br />tion plan will be effective in mitigating any possible effects of <br />mining on alluvial valley floors. <br />I• <br />785-41 <br />