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• flood irrigated. Rangeland areas are those areas with 6 to 9 inches of replaced topsoil <br /> and are either adjacent to old mine disturbance areas and native rangeland areas or are <br /> Located in areas that have little or no potential to be flood irrigated in the future (see <br /> Tab 21 - Exhibit 21-2 and Exhibit 22-1 from this Tab). <br /> The baseline investigations conducted in 1979 (see Tab 10, Addendum 10-1) identified <br /> agricultural lands as the most extensive type on the survey area at 44.5 acres. <br /> Production was estimated at 2,000-3,000 lbs/acre; however, no data was collected and no <br /> reference areas were required to be established. The next most abundant type sampled was <br /> the grassland type at 24.7 acres. This area represented abandoned irrigated hayland and <br /> thus was in rather poor condition. The grassland reference area that was established was <br /> dominated by weedy or annual species and thus is not desirable to be used as a reference <br /> area. The upland sagebrush type, at 6 acres, represented the least disturbed native <br /> community in the 1979 study. A reference area for the upland sagebrush type was <br /> established on a ridgetop to the east of NPDES pond 006. The upland sagebrush reference <br /> area and approximately 16 acres of this type located in the vicinity of mining areas 2 and <br /> 3 were sampled in 1986. The juniper and riparian types identified in the 1979 study <br /> totaled just under 4 acres and were determined to be insignificant in their contribution <br /> and thus reference areas were not required. <br /> Realistically then, only one reference area (the upland sagebrush type) exists for the <br /> Nucla Mine. Furthermore, the majority of the land within the mine permit area has <br /> either been disturbed or altered through agricultural activities, mining, or reclamation, <br /> resulting in limited applicability of the upland sagebrush type reference area. In <br /> consideration of site characteristics, climatic conditions, and the high level of <br /> agricultural activity of the surrounding area, the highest and best use to reclaim to <br /> would be agricultural lands capable of sustaining a level of grazing without supplemental <br /> water while providing protection of the soil resource. In addition, portions of these <br /> lands would respond favorably to irrigation. Thus, the postmining land use has been <br /> designated as dryland pasture or rangeland for livestock grazing and wildlife use. It is <br /> apparent that these types of reclaimed lands can also benefit wildlife as evidenced by the <br /> observation of heavy utilization of reclaimed lands by elk in the southeastern portion of <br /> the permit area. The following standards of revegetation success have been developed <br /> based on the postmining land use, the general land use of the area, past history of the <br /> site, and the unique environmental conditions and resources at Nucla. <br /> i <br /> 22-10 Revised 07/25/91 <br />