2010-01-04_REVISION - C1981008 (4)

Home Browse Search

L61 9 q( 4% A� . rime farmland or p potential prime farmland, depending upon wafer avada tl Based on this evaluation, certain lands on the Morgan property have been converted to irri gated cropland. Land use and baseline vegetation studies (Sections 2.04.3 and 2.04. 10) conducted`during 1987 and 1999, as well as results from interviews with local" operators in the area, show that the pre- mine land use is agriculture based in part on irrigation. Many of the areas designated as irrigated pasture in the pre -mine vegetation study were g an o e .: QjC_d_ arti4ll , 49afed. Vegetation types such as the swale /drainage type are present as a result - of irrigation in the area and are used, where possible, in a similar fashion to irrigated pasture or irrigated cropland. Baseline studies also showed After several .of production following renovation, the hay fields become dominaterasses and are slowly invaded by species such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata). The irrigated pasture fields are used as pasture during various periods in the year based on operator needs. In most cases management is not at a high lever Other and a small. the sagebrush es makes u than farmsteads, facilities, � ar ' t p the W-W qJ balance of the disturbance area. This type reflects disturbance of the original sagebrush type �ffi pinyon juniper vegetation and the intensity of use from associated agricultural activities. These sagebrush areas are not irrigated and are located on mesa tops where it is impractical to get irrigation water via ditches and on steep mesa sides. 6X The postmining land use will be similar to the pre - mining land use - primarily agriculture using . irrigation and dryland pasture. These two pasture types will be the highest percentage of any postmining vegetation type. Certain lands, particularly many of those tracts to the north of BB Road and west of 2700 Road, were originally classified to be restored as irrigated pasture, but this was not valid since the water was simply not available to provide proper irrigation on the total area of these lands. For this reason, a portion of these lands have been re- classified as dryland'� pasture for the Permit Revision of 2009. The five parcels that have been re- evaluated for the past- mining land use are the 4 separately owned tracts west of 2700 Road and one tract owned by WFC in the extreme southeast corner Of the= permit area. The four tracts west of 2700 Road are owned by Morgan, Lloyd, Benson and WFC. The tracts east of 2700 Road will not. be re- evaluated since they were reclaimed years ago. PR 06 Oct 09 2.05.4(2)(9) -2