REP50845

• Permit No: C1981018
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 11/1/1996
• Doc Name: DESERADO MINE C-81-018 REFUSE AREA REVEGETATION STUDY 9/96 DRAFT FINAL REPORT
• From: DMG
• To: WESTERN FUELS UTAH
• Permit Index Doc Type: REVEG MONITORING REPORT
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

~ ~ ~II ~I~IIIII~II~~III

STATE OF COLORADO
DiVI510N OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman SL, Room 215 y

Denver, Colorado 80203 Il
~~~

Phone: [phone] I
FA%:[phone]
DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL
November 1 , 1996 RES~LJRCES
Mr. Murari Shrestha Roy Romer
Governor
Western Fuels-Utah lame: s.io~nnead
405 Urban Street, Suite 305 Exec nirce Dnec~or
Lakewood, Colorado 80228 m,cnae~ a. inn,;
D,v, sion DneUOr
RE: Deserado Mine (C-81-018)
Refuse Area Revegetation Study (September, 1996 Draft Final
Report)
Dear Mr. Shrestha:
The Division has reviewed the revised draft final study report
dated September 16, 1996. The revised report includes test plot
soil and refuse analyses as requested in our June 14, 1996 review
letter. The report also includes a revised Figure 1 (Test Plot
Location Sketch) with the plot location sequence completely
reversed from that depicted in the previous draft report. This
correction reflects soil depths documented in the course of
collecting the required soil and refuse samples. The vegetation
data is more in line with what would have been expected, with the
corrected plot sequence. The general trend observed is increased
cover and production with increased thickness of soil cover, with
the trend most pronounced in the north facing test plots.
With respect to soil chemistry, there appear to be somewhat
elevated SAR levels in the lower foot of the north facing two foot
depth plot (N2), the middle and lower 1 foot layers of the south
facing three foot depth plot (S3), and the lower 2 feet of the
south facing four foot depth plot (S4). None of the elevated SAR
levels would be deemed unsuitable for subsoil, although the N2,
12"-18" sample and the 53, 30"-36" sample would be in the
marginally suitable range. The apparent increase in SAR in these
instances could be indicative of upward sodium movement, or this
could be a sampling artifact, due to the imprecise match between
1990 and 1996 sampling locations within each plot.
The report executive summary includes a recommendation that the
company request a variance application to replace 24 inches of soil
cover on the remaining refuse areas at Deserado. The proposed
replacement depth is probably based on the fact that total
production and perennial production levels on the north facing 24"
plots exceeded reference area production levels, while the south
facing plots showed no definitive trend with respect to production