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Reclamation History: <br />An extensive reclamation project was initiated in the fall of 1977 to address the Bowie No. <br />1 Mine, (formally Orchard Valley) upper mine area, middle area, mine roads and the new <br />county road alignment near the existing coal stockpile. The reader is referred to the <br />following documents for a complete discussion of the details of this project: <br />Final Report, Reclamation, Colorado Westmoreland, Inc., Orchard Valley Mine, <br />Paonia, Colorado, January 1978, by Thorne Ecological Institute. <br />History of Revegetation, Orchard Valley Mine, 1977-1982, April 1993, prepared <br />for CWI, Orchard Valley Mine, Paonia, Colorado, by Harner and Associates. <br />Revegetation 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 divert <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 />reclamation. <br />The 1981 revegetation program encompassed minor disturbances consisting of <br />miscellaneous roadways, Steven 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 3.37 acres, of which, approximately 2.02 acres was currently reclaimed. <br />Reclamation of the 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 reseeding and mulching of both the new pile and the old pile <br />footprint. This was finished in the fall of 1990. <br />Several small Copsoi] piles exist throughout the various disturbance areas of the mine site. <br />Those topsoil piles projected to remain undisturbed for longer than five years was planted <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 />