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debris and sediment has been washed into the channel, but the culverts contained little sediment, indicating <br />no recent significant flow through the culverts. <br />Sediment control The vegetative cover established on the disturbed areas of the Carbon Junction <br />Mine appears to be effectively controlling erosion. No significant gullies or sediment fans were found <br />on the site. Erosion on the disturbed areas of the site appears to be occurring at a rate similar to <br />adjoining undisturbed lands. The base of the North Pit reclaimed slope i& contoured to act as a grass <br />filter for trapping sediment in runoff coming off of the slope where the south half of the North Pit was <br />approved as a small area exemption in TR-14. This grass filter terrace was in good condition. <br />Backfilling and Grading <br />Backfilling, grading, topsoil replacement, and revegetation appeared to have been completed in all <br />areas within the permit area except topsoil stockpiles 4 and 7, and boreholes 17-1, 94-1, and 95-1 (the <br />low areas where collection ditches have been regraded in the area of the gravel pit/coal permit <br />boundary is being researched). <br />Support Facilities <br />No problems were found in the Equipment Storage Area at the south end of the permit area. Equipment <br />previously stored there was removed from the site in 2008. <br />Topsoil <br />Stockpiles 4 and 7 were well-vegetated, were not gullied, and do not have weed problems. Topsoil <br />replacement depths in the SL-4 bond release area were previously verified during the June 2008 inspection <br />in the Equipment Storage Area and in the Permanently Reclaimed Spoil Area. Topsoil stockpile depths <br />for the areas regraded in early 2009 (Pond 1, Pond 2, and collection ditches) were verified during the <br />March 2009 inspection. Replaced topsoil depths in the North Pit area were observed during topsoil <br />replacement in 2006 and were found to have more than the one-foot required thickness. <br />Revegetation <br />The areas that were backfilled, graded, and topsoiled in early 2009 (ponds and collection ditches) were <br />seeded and had straw mulch applied in mid-2009. The areas that were backfilled, graded, topsoiled, <br />seeded, and mulched in summer 2006 had initially developed a nurse crop of sterile wheat/oat hybrid, a <br />product called Regreen. This grass and others (wheat, orchard, brome, and rye grasses) provide most <br />of the cover on areas seeded in 2006. Revegetated areas were in good condition during the current <br />inspection. <br />Reclamation Success <br />As mentioned in the October 2008 inspection report, leaving topsoil stockpiles 4 and 7 as permanent <br />features on the site would require a Technical Revision to the permit application that demonstrates each <br />stockpile is not needed for a plant growth medium and each stockpile meets approximate original contour. <br />The operator recently submitted TR-16 which proposes leaving stockpiles 4 and 7 as permanent features. <br />5