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were never mined show some degree of recovery simply because the now rare heavy flows are <br />moving the sand downstream resulting in a thinning of the deep sand layer. Should those areas be <br />mined? That could be considered as an option, but it is first important to find out if those areas are <br />underlain by a thick clay layer about 5 to 7 feet below the surface. If the layer is there, it could be a <br />possible way to induce further improvement, but if it is not there then mining must remain out of the <br />question. It would do more damage than good. <br />At this point, it seems that continuing the sampling of Exclosures 1 and 2 is rather pointless. <br />Comparison of the vegetation inside the exclosure with that outside the exclosure shows that the <br />differences are primarily due to different habitat characteristics and have little or nothing to do with <br />the past impacts of grazing or sand mining. Continued photography may be reasonable. But perhaps <br />with less emphasis on the exclosures. Rather emphasis should be on the larger corridor area along <br />much of the riparian forest and stream that flows through this area. Perhaps taking the first full <br />channel reconnaisance done prior to the exclosure establishment should be repeated in the summer of <br />2012 as a final report on the entire stream corridor. By taking the same pictures from the same <br />locations at the same time of year and day would be the best way to document the overall effects of <br />both the removal of mining and grazing. How much have other areas changed? Are there still sand <br />clogged areas that could be rehabilitated by removal of the sand or are those also showing their own <br />recovery? <br />At the very least, such a survey of the entire corridor would be useful to document the stream <br />corridor prior to the encroachment of a new potential impact on the stream corridor - oil and gas <br />development. Although that development is more localized and does not have the potential impact of <br />a return to overgrazing or deep sand mining, it will likely increase sediment loads into the stream <br />corridor to some extent. How much? That is impossible to say with certainty. But if it does occur, <br />these studies have clearly provided the knowledge needed to quickly and effectively mitigate those <br />impacts should they occur. <br />2011 Annual Report Coal Creek Wetland Mitigation Permit DA 198811488 Page 15 <br />