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6.4.4 EXHIBIT D -Mining Plan <br />This is an application for an amendment to a sand and gravel operation located in Montrose County. <br />The area to be mined is approximately 2 miles southeast of Redvale and lies on the western edge of <br />Wrights Mesa at an elevation of approximately 6,520 feet or about 500 feet above Naturita Creek. <br />Historically, the area was utilized for irrigated and non-irrigated pasture with some cultivation for hay <br />crops. Mining of construction materials has occurred along this outcrop above Naturita Creek for <br />decades. <br />Conventional equipment will be used for mining the material such as dozers, front-end loaders, <br />scrapers and haul trucks. Refer to Exhibit C-2 Mine Plan for the direction and extent of the excavation. <br />The disturbance created by this mining operation will not require the diversion or impoundment of <br />water. Water used in the mining operation will be for occasional watering of the access roadway, in <br />which case the water will be imported and spread by truck and as imgation water for the reclamation <br />effort. Reclamation water will be supplied during the establishment of a sustainable vegetation base <br />only, requiring no ongoing irrigation needs. <br />The material will be mined, sized and removed for use as various aggregate products and construction <br />materials. Various product stockpiles maybe created on site for future needs. <br />The affected area is expected to be mined in three phases as illustrated on the Exhibit C-1 Pre-mining <br />Map. The location of existing features, immediately adjacent structures and other pertinent information <br />are also portrayed on this map. The life of the mine, based on the present demand for materials and the <br />probability of a high water table, is estimated to be about 34 to 54 years; the actual rate of mining will <br />depend on the changing demand for materials. The best current estimate for the life of the operation, at <br />a production rate of 70,000 tons per year, is provided as follows: <br />Phase Acres Acres Disturbed Term (Years) <br />I (Road 0.7 acres) 33.0 33.7 16 - 24 <br />II (Road 0.3 acres) 15.4 15.7 6 - 8 <br />III (Road 0.0 acres) 40.0 40.0 12 - 22 <br />Work is ongoing in the Phase I area. Phase II and III will then be mined sequentially. <br />Available topsoil was stripped from initial mining and facilities area and stored in a fill that parallels <br />the Gurley Ditch and in the corners of the Phase I disturbance area. This stored topsoil will be used at <br />the end of Phase I mining to cover the final pit disturbance. As a stabilization measure, any topsoil <br />which is to be stockpiled longer than about one growing season will be broadcast seeded with a <br />perennial sod-forming grass cover such as western wheatgrass at a typical rate of 20 pounds of <br />PLS/acre. The site will then be mined to a depth of about 30± feet. <br />Because of the scarce cover material available on the gravel outcrop, reclamation of the Phase II Pit <br />can occur concurrently with mining after approximately 235,000 tons of gravel are produced. This <br />D-1 <br />