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• /~ Additional Sheet Snyder Quarry 1996-1997 Annual Report May 27, 1997 Included with this report is the annual report map. This map shows the status of various features within the operation. No map is provided of the road corridor as no significant changes occurred there in the last yeaz. Most of the mining related activity involved prepazing the site to return to nearly full operation, at lease during the summer months. This work involved stripping the Wesc Ridge area of vegetation and stockpiling the soil as well as determining exattly how to go about mining this area. The underground workings within this area pose a considerable challenge. Also involved in the preparation work was the cutting of a drainage channel from the plant to the deep mined out hole in the northern part of the disturbance. Over the years, accumulated material derived from spillage while loading trucks had resulted in the plant being in a bowl. After heavy rains the plant was essentially sitting in water, in some places many inches or even feet deep. This not only makes work difficult but could be a hazard. So a long channel was excavated from the plant to the hole so water will drain away from the plant. Another operation which is both a mining and a reclamation activity was the removal of much of the accumulated wash fines and waste piled high in the eastern part of the site. This is a large and expensive operation as thousands of cubic yards of material must be moved into the hole as backfill. Once in the hole it will stay there as part of the backfilling plan. Although this was not intended to be done for some time, the Colorado Mountain Reclamation Foundation (CHAP -the organization in charge of the Enhanced Reclamation) requested this be done as the waste pile was unsightly. This work will take several months to complete but once completed will somewhat improve the appearance of the quarry. The small area labeled "Violation Reclamation" is the area where accidental rock spillage damaged the existing vegetation outside the permit boundary. This repair is progressing very well and today there is little evidence remaining of the damages. Tree seedlings planted on this hillside are continuing to do well and recovery of the natural vegetation is excellent. The only additional reclamation done at this site was Enhanced Reclamation, the publicly funded program to mitigate visual impact. Although not actually addressed in the Enhanced Reclamation Plan, Castle and the CMRF agreed that planting trees along the access road would improve the appearance of the road from Cedaz Heights. Trees were planted along the outside of the roadway from just above the entrance gate a distance of about 1000 feet (to the end of the second section of curb). Next yeaz, after some additional work is completed on improving the road alignment, grade, and safety berm, trees will be planted along much of the rest of the roadway. The only places were trees will not be planted will be where large trees already obscure the roadway. In early May 1996, trees were planted by the CMRF on the visual berm. Fifty, two to three foot call Pinon Pine and Juniper trees were planted along with about 100 seedlings. As was seen at Queens Canyon in 1996, the success rate of the tree plantings was related to the size of the tree. Seedlings had a high survival rate. The lazger trees did not fare so well, but still showed an acceptable survival in spite of the dry spring. Once again, the most economical tree planting size appears co be seedlings. Although the effect of the trees takes longer to realize the higher survival rate and lower cost of seedlings is a tremendous advantage over the higher cost and lower survival rate of lazger trees. Annual Report Snyder Quarry 96/97 M-77-210 Page 1