Laserfiche WebLink
Mine development into the West pit and Section 16 areas will require initial boxcuts resulting <br />in additional stockpiling of topsoil. Once pit development has progressed and regraded areas <br />are available, direct haul replacement will again proceed in these areas. Stockpiled topsoil <br />will be used to reclaim the final pits. <br />Thirteen years of topsoil handling at Colowyo leaves little doubt that there is sufficient <br />topsoil resource available to complete the reclamation goals. Whenever possible topsoil <br />stockpiling is avoided and direct haul is the preferred method of topsoil handling. <br />The dynamics of the Colowyo operation [o prepare regraded areas for topsoil is at times out <br />of sync with the topsoil stripping operation that may vary from 3 inch to 20 foot depths. <br />Typically, the last loads of topsoil hauled into a regraded spoil area will be left in place in a <br />narrow windrow adjacent to the area to be seeded. Since, in the spring of the next year, this is <br />the firs[ topsoil to be respread onto the advancing regraded spoil, the windrow is always left <br />in place for less than one year. The topsoil is protected from wind and water erosion by <br />placement in stable areas and avoidance of drainage bottoms where external erosion might <br />pose a potential threat. The topsoil is left in a rough condition which combined with the <br />natural woody plant material removed with the topsoil successfully controls wind erosion. <br />Due to the temporary nature of the windrows and its function in the yearly direct topsoil haul <br />operation, it is unrealistic to locate them on the Topsoil Handling Maps 28A and 28B. <br />Topsoil in excess of the demands of the direct haul operation to regraded spoil is placed in <br />topsoil storage stockpiles. The topsoil storage stockpiles for the mine plan area are shown on <br />the Topsoil Handling Maps 28A and 28B. As can be seen, topsoil stockpiles have been <br />constructed in the permit area to handle material which is in excess of current redistribution <br />needs. The excess topsoil has been removed from the mining boxcut areas, from haul roads <br />and from mine facility locations. The planned contemporaneous stockpiling and reapplication <br />will eliminate the need to move topsoil stockpiles from one area to another prior to <br />reapplication onto graded spoil. <br /> <br />2.05-26 Revision Date: 6/18/02 <br />Revision No: MR-57 <br />