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<br />UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE 1919 Highway 50 West Pueblo, CO 81008 <br />RECLAMATION PLAN <br />Oakleaf Pit <br />Owner: VALCO/Pueblo Concrete Division <br />Operator: VALCO/Pueblo Concrete Division <br />• Location: E 1/2, NE 1/4 Section 34 T20S R64W <br />SW 1/4, NW 1/4 Section 35 T20S R64W <br />October 11, 1985 <br />General Vegetative Description: This is an expansion of a previously <br />permitted gravel pit. The expansion area is to the west of the previously - <br />permitted gravel pit. The north part of the expansion area is abandoned <br />irrigated cropland. The land hasn't been in crop production for almost <br />20 years. Vegetation is almost exclusively kochia and bindweed. The <br />southern part of the expansion is riverbottom vegetation. <br />This is a wooded area with a canopy cover ranging from 10-60%. Woody species <br />are cottonwood, tamarisk and Russian olive. The understory is very diverse <br />with native species, introduced pasture species and invader type "weedy" <br />species. Basal groun3 cover ranges from 5 to 60%. The CO-ECS-2 has a more <br />detailed list of species. Cover and percent composition values have a wide <br />range and the figures given are estimates. <br />Topsoil depth is 4-18". <br />The planned post-mining land use is recreational pond. <br />The soils are not considered prime farmland. <br />Groundwater will be encountered during the mining operation. <br />Soils information is attached: soils map, soil mapping unit descriptions, <br />and a table outline the physical and chemical properties of the soil mapping <br />units. <br />The Soil Conservation Service recommends the following steps to stablize and <br />revegetate the site: <br />1) Prior to mining, 6-12 inches of topsoil should be removed and <br />stockpiled. <br />2) Prior to spreading the topsoil, the area should be banksloped so <br />that no slope will exceed 3:1. Rough areas should be smoothed to <br />permit easier seeding and mulching. The area should be scarified <br />to a depth of 6 inches to permit better bonding between the top- <br />soil and the underlying soil material. After scarification, the <br />stockpiles of topsoil will be uniformly spread over the area. 0 <br />Pond slopes should be 3:1 or flatter. <br />v <br />