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June 15, 2011 C- 1981- 008/New Horizon Mine MLT <br />• Pond 007 was discharging at a slow rate. Irrigation within the permit area was turned off in <br />advance of sampling and haying; the only source of inflow to the pond was irrigation tail <br />water coming from properties located upstream of the permit area. <br />• Pond 008 was not discharging; the water in the pond was somewhat cloudy in appearance. <br />• Pond 011 had been pumped completely dry, and the bottom was covered with a white <br />substance (Photo 3), possibly precipitate from the pond water. <br />• Ponds 009, 012 and 015 were completely dry. <br />• Pond 013 (Photo 4) now receives flow from dewatering of the pit, and discharges <br />continuously. At the outlet, the ditch leading from the culvert pipe to the Parshall flume has <br />been lined to prevent erosion, as has the ditch from the flume outlet to Tuttle Draw. <br />GENERAL MINE PLAN COMPLANCE: <br />• At the northern end of the current pit, on the WFC parcel, a segment of highwall remained in <br />place and the pit had not been daylighted to the north into the Tuttle Draw drainage. In the <br />highwall face, collapsed pre -law workings were visible (Photo 5). <br />• Tom Fry of WFC was conducting weed control within the permit area at the time of the <br />inspection. The mine has a tank mounted in the back of a Kawasaki "mule" (Photo 6). Mr. <br />Fry explained that he had been applying 2,4 -D on mullein, kochia and Canada thistle, and <br />"Milestone" on Russian knapweed and whitetop. <br />RECLAMATION SUCCESS - Rule 4.15, Rule 3: <br />• Reclamation of the BB Road Detour in late 2009 utilized topsoil stored in stockpiles located <br />on the northern end of the Benson -East property, near Tuttle Draw. During this inspection, <br />we traversed the reclaimed stockpile area, and observed that the area is well graded, and <br />stabilized with respect to erosion. Vegetative cover included slender, crested, and western <br />wheatgrasses. Willows were also becoming established, presumably due to the high water <br />table associated with nearby Tuttle Draw. There were a number of Russian thistle skeletons, <br />but this annual weed appears to have been replaced by the desirable, seeded species. <br />• Mr. Gubka mentioned that WFC is considering reclaiming the temporary diversion ditch that <br />runs along the southern boundary of the Burbridge parcel, north of 5th Road. The ditch <br />flows eastward into Pond 007. <br />REVEGETATION — Rule 4.15 <br />Vegetative Cover; Timing: <br />• Revegetation sampling, conducted by Kent Crofts, was under way on the reclaimed lands <br />located east of 2700 Road. Mr. Crofts explained that he had initially started sampling on the <br />Garvey parcel, but was told by Mr. Garvey that his hay was not yet ready to be cut. Mr. <br />Crofts and his assistant then shifted their sampling to those areas included in the SL -12 <br />application. At the time of the inspection, they were sampling on the reclaimed Staats parcel, <br />south of 5th Road (Photo 7), using a 10 -point frame (Photo 8). Mr. Crofts explained that <br />sample points are randomly selected in the office, and that a hand -held GPS is used to <br />navigate to the points in the field. 50 -meter transects are used, set on random bearings, and a <br />measuring tape is strung out along the transect. Ten random distances are selected along the <br />transect for sampling. Even - numbered distances are sampled to the right side of the tape, <br />while odd - numbered distances are sampled from the left. <br />• Vegetation on the Staats field included smooth brome, orchard grass, tall fescue, alfalfa, <br />clover, and birds -foot trefoil. The alfalfa proportion is quite low, due to the extensive <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 8 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 4 Page 3 of 14 <br />