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Public Outreach <br /> In order to disperse information relative to the outslope revegetation efforts, a paper was <br /> delivered in the spring of 2000 at the Billings Reclamation Symposium. The paper detailed <br /> the revegetation and sediment control methodologies undertaken in 1999. <br /> The Division formed a partnership with the Roaring Fork Conservancy, a local community <br /> interest group in the spring of 2000. The purpose of the partnership was to establish a role <br /> for community involvement in water quality monitoring within Coal Basin. A monitoring <br /> station was established in the early summer of 2000 on Coal Creek below the Coal Basin <br /> Mine. This site was maintained by community volunteers. The data collected from this <br /> site was used in conjunction with the data collected by the Division as part of the Non- <br /> Point Source Project. <br /> Monitoring <br /> The outslopes were observed and data recorded following the revegetation effort in 1999. <br /> The data set was used to help assess the stability of the slopes as a function of gully <br /> stability and vegetative cover. <br /> Vegetative cover at the mine bench outslopes did not develop as desired during the 2000 <br /> growing season. The lack of cover establishment is thought to be a result of the <br /> anomalously dry climatic conditions experienced in the area during the fall of 1999 and <br /> the spring and summer of 2000. <br /> The revegetation project undertaken during the 1999 construction season was timed to <br /> coincide with typical annual snowfall patterns observed to occur in Coal Basin. <br /> Generally, light snows begin to fall by mid-September of each year. Three to six inch <br /> snow falls usually occur on a seven to ten day interval from mid-September through <br /> early-October, with the latter snows sticking for the winter. Dryer and colder conditions <br /> usually prevail in mid-October, with snow accumulation becoming significant in <br /> November. <br /> Revegetation projects are timed so that seed, mulch and fertilizer are on the ground by no <br /> earlier than mid-September, and being completed by early-October. The Mine Bench <br /> Outslope Revegetation Project was completed during this timeframe. <br /> Climatic conditions during the fall of 1999 were very different than what was observed in <br /> previous years. Substantial moisture accumulation ended in early September, and the fall <br /> of 1999 was extremely dry, with no appreciable snow accumulation until well into <br /> December. The lack of snow accumulation was detrimental to germination potential and <br /> overall revegetation success. This is because we depend upon the early fall snow <br /> accumulation to help secure the protective straw mulch to the outslopes. The mulch <br /> cover is critical as it provides shade and protection to the underlying seed. Without the <br /> snow cover, the mulch was susceptible to removal by wind. In fact, the bulk of the mulch <br /> was observed to be removed from some of the slopes during the fall. However, some <br /> mulch accumulation was observed to occur on the constructed outslope benches. The <br /> lack of fall moisture and the mulch removal severely impacted overall germination rates. <br /> 6 <br />