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WILDLIFE RESOURCES ASSESSMENT <br />MORTON LAKES PROPERTY <br />WELD COUNTY, COLORADO <br />• (Figure 1). The project area is located in the Fort Lupton 7%s-minute USGS quad, in the <br />southeast '/4 of Section 1 and northeast '/4 of Section 12, Township 1 North, Range 67 <br />West, of the 6th Principal Meridian in Weld County, Colorado (Figure 1). The UTM <br />coordinates for the approximate center of the. project area are 4435545mN and 514214mE. <br />The latitude/longitude of the project area is 40.07005°N/104.83337°W. <br />The proposed aggregate mine would consist of the following: <br />• Approximately 132 acres would be mined. <br />• The proposed project would be divided into mining stages, which would be <br />mined and concurrently reclaimed. <br />• The future use of the reclaimed land includes water storage, wetland habitat, <br />and possible open space. The future disposition of the property is likely to be <br />a combination of private and public ownership. <br />• All excavated sand and gravel would be transported on-site by field <br />conveyors. On-site roads would only be used to transport finished sand and <br />gravel products off-site. <br />• Reclamation Concepts (Benefits for Wildlife) <br />• Mining setbacks from Big Dry Creek would be implemented to reduce the <br />loss of riparian habitat. <br />Cottonwoods outside of the mining areas would be protected from ground <br />water fluctuations typically associated with alluvial sand and gravel mining <br />through the installation of soil-bentonite slurry walls around the perimeter of <br />mining. The slurry wall would prevent the lowering of alluvial ground water <br />outside of the mining area, thereby protecting the adjacent trees and shrubs <br />from any ground water drawdown. <br />Wash fines from sand and gravel processing would be disposed of in mining <br />Stage 1. The wash fines would be used to create wetlands as part of the <br />reclamation. The practice of using wash fines to create wetlands has been <br />successful at various sand and gravel pits in the Front Range, including the <br />Marshall Wetlands along South Boulder Creek, which is owned by Boulder <br />Open Space. <br />• Cottonwood trees would be planted along Big Dry Creek to replace trees <br />removed for mining as well as to enhance the existing riparian corridor. <br />• Native seed mixes would be used in the reclamation process. <br />. <br />FRO <br />2 R Res <br />esources <br />Corporation