2011-07-01_INSPECTION - C1981008

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 There were a number of Russian thistle skeletons, but this annual weed appears to have been replaced by the desirable, seeded species.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