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Reclamatio~z History: <br />An extensive reclamation project was initiated in the fall of 19'7% to address the Bos~~ie No. <br />1 Mine, (fonnall}~ Orchard Valle}~) upper mine area, middle area, mine roads and the new <br />county road alignment near the exisdntr coal stockpile. The reader is refereed ro the <br />following documents for a complete discussion of the details of this project: <br />Final Repots, Reclamation; Colorado Westmoreland, Inc., Orchazd Valley Aline; <br />Paonia, Colorado, January 1978; by Thorne Ecological Lnstiaite. <br />Histor}' of Revegetation, Orchard Valley Mine, 1977-198?, Apzil 1993; prepared <br />for CWI, Orchard Valley Mine; Paonia, Colorado, by Hamer and Associates. <br />Reveoetation of cut and fill slopes was accomplished in 1978 on previously seeded but <br />sparsely vegetated and eroded slopes. This erosion stemmed from excessive water runoff <br />as the result of the lack of effective water diversion system. <br />In 1979, a diversion channel and four sedimentation ponds were constructed to divest <br />water away from the main mine facilities. Access roads to the sedimentation ponds and <br />parking lot were also constructed. The revegetation program of 1979 addressed disturbed <br />areas associated with these facilities and encompassed approximately 12 acres of <br />rec Iamati on. <br />The 1981 revegetatron program encompassed minor disturbances consisting of <br />miscellaneous roadways, SCeven Gulch well field structures, and the scale house and <br />truck scales near the truck dump station. <br />Construction of the West Ridge Waste Disposal Area was initiated in July 1983. Lands <br />available for reclamation at the site have been seeded and mulched on approximate <br />annual basis since development began. The West Ridge disposal site encompasses <br />approximately 337 acres, of which, approximately 2.02 acres was currently reclaimed. <br />Reclamation of Che old waste disposal site near ponds 1 and 2 was completed in <br />November of 1983. <br />The following spring, vegetation was established on the 0.86 acre site. Development of <br />the West Ridge Disposal site was initiated in 1983 in conjunction with development of <br />the west material stockpile. This was established to accommodate material generated by <br />the West Ridge Disposal area development. <br />Reclamation of the Orchard Valley West Mine fill slopes and associated disturbances was <br />Finished by the fall of 1987. Slope instability necessitated the relocation of topsoil at the <br />mine site and subsequent reseedine and mulching of both the new pile and the old pile <br />footprint. This was finished in the fall of 1990. <br />Several small topsoil piles exist throughout the various disturbance areas of the mine sire. <br />Those topsoil piles projected to remain undisturbed for longer than Cive years wasplanted <br />with a permanent seed mixture. Topsoil piles projected to be redistributed within five <br />years was planted with a temporary seed mixture. <br />3 <br />