1992-06-05_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (2)

Home Browse Search

RECEIVED Vegetation Baseline Inventory AUG 141984 Proposed Waste Dump Area MINED LAND RECLAMATION DIVISION Coal Basin Mine Coco. Dept.of Natural Resources Mid-Continent Resources, Inc. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Mid-Continent Resources, Inc., operator of the Coal Basin Mine near Redstone, Colorado, proposes to develop a new area for coal processing waste disposal near the main surface facilities of the mine. A vegetation baseline inventory was conducted for the area during the first week of August, 1984 by Intermountain Soils, Inc. Three vegetation types were identified for purposes of the inventory. These types include aspen, meadow, and mountain shrub and are delineated on the map which accompanies this report. The vegetation types are identified primarily by the visually dominant overstory vegetation, but they are distinct from each other in other ways as well. The aspen, meadow, and mountain shrub comprise respectively about thirty-four, twenty-six and seventeen acres. In addition, the study area contained a small inclusion of a stand dominated by conifers. Since this stand was only about two acres, it was not sampled as part of this study. The conifer stand is delinea ed on the map. The above vegetation type acreages do not necessarily conforrr to the exact acreages proposed for disturbance, since parts of the area will include buffer areas and areas of relatively minor disturbances such as diversion ditches, roads, and so on. The area is approximately seventy acres in size. The elevation of the area PP Y Y ranges from about 8,650 feet to about 8,100 feet. Topography is varied and includes steep west and south-facing slopes of shaley soils where the mountain shrub type predominates, relatively level areas of deeper soils underlying the meadow type, and steep to nearly level areas of aspen. METHODS All three vegetation types were sampled for vegetation cover by species and herbaceous production by life form. The aspen and mountain shrub types were