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Clarification of Prime Farmland Soils Designations - Morgan Property <br />United Stags Department ar Agriculture <br />v NRCS <br />Nawral R vwum a Conservation Service <br />Jim Boyd, R2asotuee camovaltnmst #m,bogd @mxkwda9ov <br />P. 0. Box 29 970- W-42454)FFlCE <br />Norwood, CO 81423 970327. 4247 -FAX <br />August 4, 2009 <br />Dan Hfathews <br />Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />101 S. 3°r Street, Suite 301 <br />Grand Junction. CO 61 501 <br />Ir � ► , <br />This letter is to further clarify our prime farmland soils designations for the New Hwizoa tit Mine. <br />The NRCS definition of prime farmland is as follows; <br />"Prime farmland, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is land that has the best combit.atirun or <br />Physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, toed, Ibrag% fiber, aid oilseed crops and is available for <br />these uses. It could be cultivated land, pastureland, farestlwW. err otter land, but it is not urban or built -up land or <br />water areas. The soil qualities, growing season, and moisture supply are those needed for the sail to economically <br />produce sustained high yields of crops when proper management, including water managemwl and acceptable <br />farming methods are appliai In geancral, prime farmland has an adequate and dependable supply ofmoisture from <br />Precipitation or irrigation. a favorable temperature and growing season, acceptable aridity or alkalinity, an <br />acceptable salt and sodium ctwtent, and few or no rocks. It is permeable to water and air. It is not excessively <br />credible or saturated with water for long periods, and it either is not frequently flooded during the.growing season or <br />is protected from flooding. Slopes range mainly from 0 to 6 percent." <br />The Morgan fields that NRCS designated as prime f amiland meet the soil criteria in the definition, and have a <br />history of irrigation, as evident from aerial photography. All prime farmlands are subject to water availability, and <br />we suppose that the historic irrigation on the Morgan property was "adequate and dependable" to produce a crop <br />c!conomically. <br />The NRCS believes that all areas ofprime farmland soils an the trine property should be reclaimed using the special <br />soil bundling procedures we have worked on together for the pad 2 years. If, during reclamation, there are portions <br />of these prime farmland soils where adequate irrigation water is not available to grow a crop, them technically they <br />lose their pritnc fltrmhnnd slaws. <br />In" situation, it is unrealistic for these areas to be held to a cropland production <br />goal. Alternatively, the reclaimed vegetative community could be a mixture of drought tolerant grasses and fort& <br />and designated as dryland pasture. 11; at a bitter date, adequate inigatiou water becomes available for these lauds <br />they would again be considered prime frtntland particularly since the soils have been reclaimed accordingly, <br />Sincerely, <br />Jim Boyd, NRCS Resource Conservationist <br />Tin 1"t cad Pj ux on Caserwtion 60-*@ Wnlma ti parNwsUP WO #0 Arnokim AMple <br />b rows=" and "&s nowmi resounees on Fwake W06. M Equef Qpp*dunaY Pm%Ww and e?mp"r, <br />