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~~ .cGE~VED APR 2 81999 ,,,~ ~~ M~~~a~ &~e01o9'D April 25, 1999 Division of Minerals and Geology 1313 Sherman Street Rm 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 Azurite, Iuc. 10001 CR 12 P.O. Box 338 Cotopaxi, Colorado 81223 719-942-4178 RE: ANNUAL REPORT M-77-247 COALDALE QUARRY ANNIV. DATE 4-28-99 This annual report and map will detail Closure work performed on site from April 29, 1998 through April 28, 1999. The Coaldale Quarry is in the second year of a five term to meet closure requirements as outlined in the permit amendment document and closure extension date approved by the Mined Land Reclamation Board in September, 1997. Since the highwall removal efforts performed in 1998, which included highwall removals at the Titanium Hill location, Alph Hill, and Uon Hill areas, were performed during the first quarter of 1998, the work will not be detailed in this report. After April, 1998, the Iron Hill highwall and Alpha Hill highwall, now slopes of 1.5 : I with contour rills installed were seeded to native grasses and mulched with wheat straw at 4000#/acre rate. After April, ]998, revegetation work on site included the planting 1500 tree seedlings purchased from the Colorado State Forest Service and 1800 shrub seedlings contract grown by Pleasant Avenue Nursery, Buena Vista, CO. The plants were installed from mid-April through mid-July utilizing a seven person reclamation crew of part time environmental technicians. Planting areas are shown on the attached map and included the North End Dump Area, the Senatore Hill Dump, and the Hangingwall area lying due south of the Senatore Hill (Middle) Waste Dump. 500 pounds of native grass seed mix was distributed over the site via broadcast seeding followed by mulch applications at a rate of 4000#/acre. Seeding areas included the regraded slopes on Uraruum Hill, the exploration drill road removal area on Titanium Hill, the Hangingwall area of Iron, and the newly regraded Alpha Hill azea. Broadcast rates were 20#/acre. Approximately 250 pounds of shrub seed collected in late 1997 were distributed over the site, especially on Uranium Hill and Alpha Hill slopes. The tree seedlings included Ponderosa Pine, Pinon Pine, Rocky Mountain Juniper, and Colorado Blue Spruce. The spruce and ponderosa pines were protected with 18 gauge welded wire cages 4 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter. These cages are expensive, doubling the price of the seedling installation, but are critical to protecting the young seedlings from deer damage. Late season work included additional work on scaling the loose gypsum veneer left on the Gold Hill Highwall area. A three person crew worked from mid-July through mid-October on this difficult and dangerous area, working off safety lines to dislodge loose and soon to be loose gypsum rock from the 55 degree slope footwal] contact at the upper reaches of the quarry area. This area was