_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (258)

Home Browse Search

accomplished through site visits or public tours hosted by the Division. We also attend the annual CVEPA membership meeting in Redstone in order to provide information and answer questions. These have been highly effective methods of disseminating information and accumulating knowledge pertaining to the communities interests and concerns. 4.4 The Coal Basin Mine was a permitted mining operation, active until about February, 1990. Subsequent to that time, the operation permit was revoked and the reclamation bond forfeit by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board. Reclamation of the mine property became the responsibility of Minerals and Geology following those actions. Minerals and Geology has accomplished substantial reclamation at the Coal Basin Mine since 1995 using the forfeited Bond money. Some reclamation projects have been funded by grants provided by the Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining in order to accomplish work which could not be funded by the revoked bond. A portion of the State match for this Non-Point Source Grant is funded by the revoked bond. The reclamation plan in the mine operation permit contemplates vegetative stabilization of the Mine Bench Outslopes. However, the Non-Point Source Grant contemplates watershed restoration work beyond the scope of operation permit. Therefore, use of Section 319 funds to accomplish the contemplated scope of work is appropriate. The goals of past reclamation efforts have been to minimize, to the extent possible, sediment delivery from mining related facilities to nearby water resources, and to return lands impacted by mining operations to a productive post-mining land use. Reclamation efforts at mining related facilities has been successful in accomplishing these goals. Sediment generation from the extensive mine road system and from the mine entry areas has been dramatically reduced as a result of reclamation activities. The Non-Point Source Project directly compliments the work previously conducted. Sediment generation from the Mine Bench Outslopes is one of the last components of minimizing the impacts of the mining operation to local water resources. We are unaware of any Public agency or private organization conducting watershed restoration activities in Coal Basin, or in the upper Crystal River drainage, nor are we aware of any Non-Point Source educational effort being undertaken in this watershed by any Public or private entity. Should we become aware of such during the life of the Grant, we will coordinate our activities to the extent practicable. 5.0 EVALUATION AND MONITORING PLAN 5.1 The evaluation and monitoring plan is attached to this grant application. 5.2 The monitoring strategy to determine Project outcomes is directly addressed in Section 3.2 Objective 3. Past experience has demonstrated that obtaining sediment samples directly from Outslope runoff is extremely difficult to accomplish. Measurement of iron bearing sediment reduction will be accomplished using sediment estimation models, and from water quality samples obtained from the receiving streams. The most