Laserfiche WebLink
agricultural soils have been, and continue to be, salvaged and replaced in two separate lift.; <br />while thinner, less productive soils are salvaged and replaced in a single mixed lift. Whether one <br />lift or two lift replacement is employed, the soil is replaced over a separate lift of suitable quality, <br />spoil obtained from the upper-most zone of unconsolidated overburden, The thickness of the <br />suitable overburden lift (also referred to as "suitable Bench 1 subsoil" or just "Bench 1 subsoil"I, <br />varies from a minimum of 24 inches to a minunum of 36 inches, depending on area, The <br />exception is a 4.68 acre area of Prime Farmland soil in the extreme northwest portion of the <br />permit area, where a 6 foot soil thickness will be replaced. Permit Map 2.05.4-4 depicts the <br />currently approved topsoil replacement plan, as amended by TR-57. On the Morgan property <br />southwest of the corner of 2700 Road and BB Road, mine disturbance <br />andl s ngle lift <br />approximately 3000 feet to the west of 2700 Road by the end of January 2008, <br />salvage operations had been employed. The single lift operation was not appropriate on the <br />thick, productive agricultural soils that dominate the Morgan property, and soil handling <br />practices were altered beginning February 2008, to require two lift salvage and replacement, with <br />a total winimrmt replacement soil thickness of 48 inches over a rainiruum Bench 1 overburden <br />lift thickness of 3611, for the remainder of the property Wending west to the permit boundary. <br />In accordance with landowner desires, the reclamation plan will be directed toward replacement <br />and enhancement of the dominant irrigated hayland and pasturelmud laud users, Small areaR of <br />steeper slopes or property corners difficult to irrigate will be planted to dryland pasture, in <br />accordance with landowner requests. Reclamation efforts will not be directed toward restoring <br />the minor acreage of depleted sagebrush rangeland, or the artificially subirrigated swale areas. It <br />is anticipated that wetland vegetation will establish in low spots and adjacent to impoundrnents <br />on the reclaimed landscape, due to the presence of water from irrigation runoff. Continued <br />incidental use of the reclaimed landscape by wildlife similar to that which occurred prior to <br />mining is expected. <br />Operations on Prime Farmland <br />Daring the permitting process for New Horizon Mine 2 and after an extensive review by the <br />__ r.re\. axl?tn..., F??p1a ['nlorado: and the Division, a <br />was made that the Barx soil within the original permmit area w <br />- - , _ e% .k... i d <br />(permit Attachment 2.04.9-6) documents this <br />with respect to topsoil handling and <br />in 1998, a new soil surrey was performed for areas west of, 2700 Road and north of BB Road. <br />rTJ T s surwsy noted n us o arx- arvey c ex so.. When P - was owarrofttL P.40 I la were not Prime F an T, <br />as well as <br />on <br />in the northwest corner of the permit area (see <br />Prime Farmland have been tdentince. <br />rate y 4.68 acres onun y OM <br />area of <br />11