REP05964 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The Kerr Mine owned by Kerr Coal Co. (KCC) is located ten miles east of Walden in Jackson County, Colorado in a high mountain valley known as North Park. North Park is dominated by semi-arid sagebrush steppe and cold desert shrub plant communities. Elevation at the mine ranges between 8200 and 8400 ft (2500-2560 m). Baseline sampling for the Kerr Mine occurred in 1980. The Marr Pit disturbance area was reclaimed prior to 1986. In 1993, final reclamation activities were initiated after the cessation of all active mining. The 720 Pit and Overburden Pile were reclaimed in 1995, and Pit 1 was reclaimed in 1996. In this document, these areas will be referred to as the Pre-1986 Reclamation Area, 1995 Reclamation Area and 1996 Reclamation Area respectively. ESCO Associates undertook quantitative sampling of reclaimed areas at the Kerr Mine in the summer of 1999. Vegetation monitoring was completed on three reclaimed areas and three reference areas during late July and early August 1999. Percent cover, total (woody + herbaceous) annual biomass production, plant species frequency, and density were sampled both in the reclaimed and in the reference areas. Shrub density sampling occurred only in the reclaimed areas. METHODS Locations Reclamation Units The reclamation sampling units sampled at the Kerr Mine are shown on Map 1, "1999 Vegetation Monitoring Locations-Reclamation Areas". The reclamation units monitored were the Pre-1986 Reclamation Area, 1995 Reclamation Area, and 1996 Reclamation Area. Reference Areas The Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area, Sagebrush-Grass reference area, and Sagebrush-Gravel reference areas were sampled and their locations are indicated on Map 2, Sheets 1 through XXX, "1999 Vegetation Monitoring Locations-Reference Areas". For the purposes of 1999 monitoring, the area originally designated as the Sagebrush-Gravel Reference Area has been combined with that area originally designated as the Treated Sagebrush Reference Area. The Treated Sagebrush Reference Area was sprayed for sagebrush control in 1964 and was located on level and gently sloping topography that encompassed soils of the Gelkie, Morset, and Fluetsch Series. At the time of baseline sampling in 1980, the Gelkie and Morset soils generally supported Sagebrush-grass vegetation types and the Fluetsch soils supported Sagebrush-gravel vegetation types. Since 1980, vegetation in the reference area has recovered and is now substantially similar to the Sagebrush-gravel type. Due to this similarity, the Treated Sagebrush Reference Area was merged with the Sagebrush-Gravel Reference Area. It should also be noted that in this document, the name "Sagebrush-Grass Reference Area" is used to refer to an area that has also been known as the "Big Sagebrush Reference Area". Cover Sampling Cover data were collected along 50 m transects using a point intercept method in which data were recorded as interceptions of a point with plant species, litter, standing dead plant material, soil or rock. Plant material produced during 1999 and still standing was tallied by species. Litter was considered to be any organic material that had fallen, or had begun to fall to the soil surface. Standing dead was any dead plant material that was produced in previous years but which was still standing and had not lodged or broken off to become litter. Inorganic materials greater than 1 cm in diameter were considered rock. The cover sampling points were optically projected using a Cover-Point Optical Point Projection Device developed by ESCO Associates. The 50 m transects