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the warmth of the year (total degree-days 10.5 percent above the long term average) may have <br />reduced the effect of the incident moisture. <br />Wadge Pasture, and Wadge Pasture '91 areas exceeded 90 percent of the Sagebrush Reference <br />Area cover; they also exceeded 90 percent of the Mountain Brush Reference Area cover. The <br />1986 and 1989 reclaimed areas (with confidence interval) exceeded 90 percent of the <br />Sagebrush Reference Area cover. If herbaceous cover only is considered (90 percent of <br />Mountain Brush Reference Area = 28.4 percent and 90 percent of Sagebrush Reference Area = <br />42.8 percent), all reclaimed areas exceeded the reference area standards in 1993. <br />Average vegetation cover in the reclaimed areas was highest in 1987 (72.1 percent), slightly <br />lower in 1988 (70.9 percent), substantially lower in 1989 (48.1 percent), somewhat higher <br />in 1990 (60.2 percent), yet higher in 1991 (65.4 percent), declined somewhat in 1992 <br />(60.1 percent), and rose again in 1993 (62.6 percent). See 1993 cover tables in Appendix 1 <br />and the 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992 Revegetation Monitoring Reports for the <br />Seneca II Mine. These average figures admittedly are calculated from different numbers of <br />sampled areas and different aged areas, but inasmuch as a range of okf to new reclamation of both <br />• the Wadge and Wolf Creek areas has been sampled each year, these data may tend to suggest <br />trends: <br />Total Vegetation Cover <br />ARFJ~ 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 <br />ALL 72.1 70.9 48.1 60.2 65.4 60.1' 62.6' <br />Wadge Pasture - - - 79.1 70.6 65.4 78.6 73.2 77.5 <br />Wadge Pasture 9l --- --- --- --- --- 74.5 64.2 <br />Mountain Br. Reference 89.8 85.3 80.1 78.0 85.7 74.9 82.2 <br />Sagebrush Reference 88.0 76.3 63.2 72.1 78.6 70.0 70.4 <br />• does not include Wedge Pasture '91 since no comparable eras was <br />included in previous years' data. <br />Over this seven year period of record, it can be seen that there was an apparent peak of cover at <br />the beginning, after which a large sag corresponding to drought conditions occurred; after seven <br />years, and three years after the 'end' of drought conditions, cover has yet to reach the 1987 <br />levels. <br />u <br />23 <br />