_INSPECTION - C1982057 ‎(71)‎

• Permit No: C1982057
• IBM Index Class Name: INSPECTION
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 6/17/2009
• Email Name: DTM
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE
Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made
during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection
and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action.
TRM, designed to direct overflow from above the road and snowdrift melt from below the road into the TRM
channel, and prevent side-cutting erosion. New TRM was installed along the length of the channel, and the
temporary flex pipe was re-set and staked in place. The flex pipe conveys flow out of Culvert PM-11 on the light
use road, to the toe of PM-4D. The installation looks good at this point, and seeded wheat cover crop and some
grasses have recently germinated and are growing up through the TRM.
Along the channel reach immediately downstream of PM-4D, the operator had installed staked willow bundles to
reduce flow velocities and minimize scour, and along one short segment had installed TRM. The short segment
of TRM, approximately 50 yards below the toe of PM-4D, had been undercut by flow from recent storm runoff,
and there is a 2 to 3 foot gully along a 50 foot segment of the drainage in this location. Structures such as
rock checks or aspen log checks placed in series along the eroded segment would appear to be
warranted.
005 Gulch "Minimal Disturbance"Drainage Segment
Please see the May 2009 inspection report for detailed discussion.
On the 2009 Rill and Gully map, the operator has indicated a proposed drop structure, to be located in the
approximate location of the active headcutting depicted on Photo#8, attached to the May inspection report. The
Division concurs that measures are warranted in this location to prevent progression of the headcut and
associated bank sloughage and erosion (armored drop structure or a riprapped grade transition zone). Similar
measures would appeared to be warranted for the headcut at the fence crossing, (and other potentially
unstable nickpoints, if they occur along the segment). Low keyed check structures would appear to be
warranted along the scoured section depicted in Photo#2 of the May inspection report, to reduce flow
velocities and minimize further incision.
Support Facilities
Some no longer needed facilities have been removed, including several fuel tanks and the bath house trailers
from the shop area, and the old trailer near the aspen plots that formerly housed a RMRS employee during the
summers.
Revegetation
Effective vegetation cover with good diversity, including significant areas of big sagebrush patches, has been
established or is developing in most areas of the 005 and 006 watersheds in the northern portions of the mine,
which include the oldest reclaimed stands. Newer reclaimed stands in the south mine area exhibit lower cover,
and are still subject to accelerated rill and gully erosion across fairly broad areas. The operator has delineated a
few locations in the South Mine area for remedial seeding, due to poor initial establishment(see 2009 Rill and
Gully Map). The steep reclaimed slopes in the Pond 017 watershed of the South Mine area held up well to
snowmelt and rainfall runoff this spring, but there was fairly extensive erosion in the 016 watershed.
Weed control is an on-going aspect of the reclamation operation. Whitetop is still present in various locations,
including areas along the tie across haul road and in the vicinity of Stock Pond T-18. Canada thistle and
houndstongue are still widespread throughout the reclamation area, with dense patches in some locations.
Thistle had recently been sprayed along heavily infested segments of Road "J", and was yellowed and drooping.
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