2011-07-20_REPORT - M1988044 (2)

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ANNUAL STATUS REPORT TO COLORADO STATE BORAD OF LAND COMMISSIONERS SAND GRAVEL LEASE: GL -264 (FOURTH AMENDMENT) LOWRY RANGE COAL CREEK (QUINCY AVE. SOUTH TO COUNTY LINE) SCHMIDT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY APPLICABLE YEAR: 2011 DUE DATE: JULY 15, 2011 In accordance with the requirements of Paragraph 6 of the lease and Item I.A.5 of the Operation Plan, the following information is provided as a status report for the year preceding the due date stated above. This information updates the previous annual status report information. Any updated maps presented in this report contain not only the information for the current year, but information for prior years as well. If no new map is provided then there was no change in the information provided on the previously submitted map. Thus, as conditions change, the maps are kept up to date on an annual basis without a need to refer back to previous maps. Any maps that were not updated are so indicated in this report so the most current map can be located for reference as needed. DATE OF FINAL INSPECTION FOR PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT: July 5 and July 8, 2011 SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT STATUS REPORT YEAR: The 2010 -2011 operation year (July 15, 2010 - July 15, 2011) was another slow year for the operation. With the economy still in the dumps, demand for sand was even less than last year which was a 30% decline from the previous year. Reclamation of older disturbances proceeded this year with a small amount of backfilling and grading. No seeding was done this year. Climatically, the winter was on the dry and warm side. This followed a dry autumn and thus soil moisture deficit was very all winter. Spring 2011 began as the winter had been - dry. In fact, it became so dry it was classified as a severe drought. In May additional moisture began to arrive as the La Nina came to a close and the climate entered a neutral ENSO condition. This moisture continued into June with intermittent periods of dry and hot weather. In late June and early July the summer monsoon began about three weeks early. Good rains helped reduce the soil moisture deficit and allowed good growth to occur, thus rescuing the vegetation from a disastrous summer. Lands seeded in 2008 and 2009 during those very hot and dry summers showed remarkable growth gains in 2011 and much of the weakness previously noted all but disappeared. The moisture that arrived in May, just as the cool season species were beginning growth, boosted the growth of both native and planted cool season species. The continued moisture in June aided the growth of the warm season species. However, on the whole, the dry winter and spring helped to reduce the growth of annuals, thus allowing the perennials to make significant gains in out competing the annuals. All the revegetation areas are continuing to be amazingly free of noxious weeds, for the most part, although annual weeds can still be common in very isolated patches where the perennials have yet to gain the upper hand. The invasion of Tamarix detected in 2006 now appears to be fully Status report for 2009 due July 15, 2010 Page 1 of 13