2011-03-22_PERMIT FILE - C1981022A (2)

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broken rock in the canyon area (Savage and Savage 2002). Road maintenance construction would disturb soils on the existing road surface and at culvert installation sites (1 to 2 feet deep at excavation areas). By implementing the following soil erosion protection measures and reclamation procedures, impacts to soils would be minimized. Cut and fill and disturbed areas outside the roadway will be recontoured and reseeded. Cut banks in soils will be at an angle of repose of 1.5:1, which has proven to be a stable slope in this area. This is expected to minimize the potential for these cut banks to unravel upslope. Soils will not be sidecast, rather soils resulting from blading will be incorporated- into the driving surface. Soil erosion mats/blankets, silt fencing-and straw bales will be utilized to stabilize soils. Road maintenance activities would not take place during wet soil conditions if it creates ruts in excess of 4-inches. The road will typically be maintained once a year, and as needed to reduce ruts and erosion. Soil disturbance will be kept to the minimum necessary to maintain the road in a safe and usable condition. C. Water Resources A surface water resource adjacent to Bear Creek Road is Bear Creek, which overall is an ephemeral stream. In most years, stream flow is minimal or lacking in the summer through winter periods. Eight unnamed ephemeral or intermittent subdrainages drain into Bear Creek along the road course. By implementing erosion control measures during road maintenance and culvert installation as described above, sediment input to Bear Creek would be avoided. Slope stabilization activities between the road and the active stream channel would consist of rock riprap with no encroachment on the active stream channel, therefore no decrease in bank stability is anticipated. D. Vegetation Noxious weed species , on the Delta County list, were observed by ENSR (2002) adjacent to the road. Species included burdock, houndstongue, Canada thistle, field bindweed, and musk thistle. to general, the weeds are not particularly abundant or numerous but they are scattered throughout most of the canyon. In general, road maintenance or upgrades and culvert installation would impact a minimal amount of vegetation adjacent to the road. Construction activities could disturb soils that contain noxious weed seeds. As a result, the following are measures that could be followed to minimize the spread of noxious weeds: • Mechanical/manual treatment • Seed disturbed areas as soon as possible after construction. • Dispose of disturbed soil potentially containing noxious weed seeds by removal from the area. • Noxious weeds will be treated as needed for the duration of the right-of-way as directed by the BLM