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Introduction <br /> The Coal Basin Mine was an active underground coal mining operation located at <br /> approximately 10,000 feet elevation in western Pitkin County. During construction of the <br /> mine in the 1950's and 1960's, steep, unconsolidated fill slopes were constructed below <br /> each mine entry area. These long, steep and highly erosive slopes are collectively termed <br /> mine bench outslopes. <br /> The eroding mine bench outslopes had been identified as significant contributory sources <br /> of iron bearing sediment to local receiving streams; Coal and Dutch Creeks. <br /> In order to facilitate stabilization of these structures, the Division of Reclamation, Mining <br /> and Safety (formerly the Division of Minerals and Geology, and hereafter referred to as <br /> the Division) determined to revegetated the slopes, and create natural sediment barriers at <br /> the toe of each. In order to facilitate this work the Division applied for a Non-Point <br /> Source grant. <br /> The overall goal of the project was to minimize to the extent possible addition of iron- <br /> laden sediment from the mine bench outslopes to both Coal and Dutch Creeks and their <br /> tributaries. This goal was to be met by implementing Best Management Practices that <br /> focused on vegetative stabilization of the steep outslopes, and retention of sediment <br /> through the use of vegetative sediment barriers at the toe of the outslopes. In order to <br /> establish these vegetative BMP's many subsidiary tasks had to be completed. <br /> Site stabilization work was initiated at the mine bench outslopes in 1999. Follow-up <br /> work was completed in 2000, followed by monitoring over the next three years. At that <br /> time the Division decided that additional stabilization work at the site would greatly <br /> enhance stability of the mine bench outslopes. Supplementary work was undertaken in <br /> 2004. The 2004 work was more successful than that accomplished in 1999, and lead to a <br /> greater degree of site stabilization. Data collected and used in a sediment yield model <br /> indicates that the project was successful in reducing sediment generation from most of <br /> the treated slopes. <br /> 3 <br />