Laserfiche WebLink
I. INTRODUCTION <br />This report presents the results of the baseline vegetation study for the West Elk Mine <br />Sylvester Gulch Facilities Area project (Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology <br />permit C-80-007). The West Elk Mine is owned and operated by Mountain Coal <br />Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Atlantic Richfield Company. Information <br />in this report addresses the existing native vegetative condition of the proposed <br />Sylvester Gulch Facilities Area at the mine. CDMG Rule 2.04.10 requires coal mine <br />permittees to provide baseline pre-mining disturbance vegetation information in the <br />permit application which describes plant communities "in terms of species composition, <br />cover, productivity and woody plant density." This rule further requires, "a discussion <br />of environmental factors controlling or limiting distribution of species such as <br />elevation, slope aspect, soils, water availability and past management." Delineation of <br />plant communities is to be based on visually dominant perennial species. Such baseline <br />vegetation information is required for areas to be affected by surface operations or <br />facilities in the case of underground coal mines. <br />Mountain Coal Company is proposing expansion of the existing surface facilities to a <br />location within Sylvester Gulch approximately one mile south of State Highway 133. <br />Faci]ities will be constructed on engineered cuts and fills within the Sylvester Gulch <br />• drainage bottom and tce and sideslopes. Since this expansion was not anticipated <br />during the initial permitting of the mine, baseline sampling of the undisturbed <br />vegetation communities present within the area proposed for disturbance is being <br />required by CDMG. <br />Vegetation communities were identified through aerial photography and field <br />reconnaissance. Several vegetation communities are present within the Sylvester Gulch <br />drainage. The major vegetation communities to be affected in the facilities expansion <br />are the oakbrush, aspen, dry meadow, and riparian communities. The Douglas fir <br />vegetation community is anticipated to be impacted to a minor degree, with disturbance <br />of this community affecting less than five percent of the affected mining area. <br />Based on conversations and a field inspection with Mr. Larry Routten of CDMG, a <br />sampling plan for vegetation communities at the facilities expansion area was <br />developed. Vegetation sampling was performed in compliance with Colorado Mined <br />Land Reclamation Board Surface Coal Mining Rules 2.04.10 and 4.15 and current <br />botanical and plant ecological methods. Vegetation field sampling was conducted in <br />July and August 1996 by Savage and Savage, Inc. staff. <br />The West Elk Mine is located in Gunnison County and Delta County, Colorado, <br />approximately one (1) mile east of Somerset, Colorado and is accessed by Colorado <br />• State Highway 133. Mountain Coal Company has operated the West Elk Mine for coal <br />extraction since 1982. <br />-1- <br />