2010-11-01_REVISION - C1981019 (2)

Home Browse Search

RULE 4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS "benign", nutrient-poor overburden in the attempt to slow or delay emergence and growth by competing grasses and annual weeds, thereby allowing shrub seed additional time to break dormancy and emerge. Prior to seeding taking place one composite sample was taken from each test plot. The constituents analyzed were texture, fetility, pH, percent coarse fragments, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, selenium, and boron. To further encourage shrubs growth, the seed mix was heavily weighted toward shrubs. The seed mixture that was used on the test plots is shown below. Seed Mix - Buried Topsoil Test Plot Seed Mix - Colowyo Mine - 2006 Recommended seeds Species Synonym Common Name Seeds/ lb. lbs. / acre sq. foot Agropyrondasystachyum Elymuslanceolatusssp.lanceclatus ThickspikeWheatgrass 154,000 0.25 0.88 Agropyron smithil Pascopyrum smithii Western Wheatgrass 110,000 0.25 0.63 Agropyron spicatum Inerme Pseudoroegneria spicata ssp. inerme Beardless Bluebunch Wheatgrass 117,000 0.50 1.34 Agropyron trachycaulum Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus Slender Wheatgrass 159,000 0.50 1.83 Poa Ampla Big Bluegrass 882,000 0.10 2.02 Subtotal = 1.60 6.71 Achillea millifolium Western Yarrow 2,770,000 0.10 6.36 Artemisia ludoviciana Louisiana Sagewort 33,600 0.75 0.58 v Asterchilensis Virgulasterascendens Pacific Aster 2,668,000 0.10 6.12 Q Linum lewisii Lewis Flax 293,000 0.20 1.35 Artemisia fridgida Fringed Sage 4,536,000 0.05 5.21 Penstemon strlctus Rocky Mountain Penstemon 592,000 0.20 2.72 Subtotal = 1.40 22.33 Amelanchieralnifolia Saskatoon Serviceberry 25,800 1.50 0.89 Artemisa tridentate vaseyana Mountain Big Sagebrush 2,500,000 0.25 14.35 Artemisla cana Silver Sagebrush 850,000 0.75 14.63 Atriplexcanescens Founving Saltbush 52,000 1.00 1.19 Ceratoideslanata Wiinterfat 56,700 2.00 2.60 m Chrysothamnusnauseosus Rubber Rabbitbrush 400,000 0.50 4.59 Purshia tridentate Bitterbrush 15,000 3.00 1.03 Rosa woodsii Wood's Rose 45,300 1.50 1.56 Symphoricarpos rotundifolnus Mountain Snowberry 75,000 1.50 2.58 Subtotal = 12.00 43.44 Total iS.00 72.46 At the peak of each subsequent growing season, or shortly thereafter, for a period of at least 5 years, these test plots will be evaluated for emergent shrub density, ground cover by species, and a visual evaluation of surficial erosion. This data will be reported annually in the Annual Reclamation Report. If data shows that there is promise as a shrub conducive reclamation procedure, CDRMS may be contacted to initiate alternate reclamation procedures for the remainder of Colowyo reclamation. 4.15.7 Determining Revegetation Success: General Requirements and Standards During the summer of 1980, two reference areas were selected to represent the two major vegetative communities to be disturbed, sagebrush and mountain shrub. The location of the reference areas are shown on the Vegetation map (Map 4) and Regional Vegetation map (Map 3). Extensive, detailed vegetative sampling was performed, duplicating the methodologies as described in Section 2.04.10. The reference areas were sampled for herbaceous cover, herbaceous productivity and woody plant density. Species diversity was determined utilizing herbaceous cover data from the premining inventory of the sagebrush and mountain shrub communities. The reference areas are approximately seven acres in size. Statistical tests were performed on the vegetative data from the reference areas to prove that they were comparable to the premined area. The parameters compared were herbaceous cover and herbaceous production. Rule 4 Performance Standards 4.15-7 Revision Date: 10/27/10 Revision No.: MR-103