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August 14, 2012 C- 1981- 008/New Horizon Mine MLT <br />Road is 60 feet. Montrose County has accepted the reconstruction of these road segments, <br />and WFC's warranty period with the County has commenced. <br />RECLAMATION SUCCESS - Rule 4.15, Rule 3: <br />Of the 100 acres included in the application for Phase I bond release, 65 acres are owned by <br />Benson ( "Benson- West ") and 35 acres are owned by WFC (formerly Lloyd). Benson's <br />surface is divided between the post- mining land uses of Dryland Pasture (DP) and 12.4 acres <br />of Irrigated Pasture (IP). A significant portion of the WFC (Lloyd) parcel will be reclaimed <br />to IP. For both properties, the post - mining topography will be conducive to additional <br />acreage being irrigated following bond release, should the landowner have additional shares <br />of water available for use. <br />Irrigation water is delivered to the Benson -West and WFC (Lloyd) properties via a buried <br />12" HDPE line installed along the north side of BB Road, as shown on permit Map 2.05.4 -5 <br />Post - mining Vegetation and Land Use. A 12" line runs north along the crest of the Benson - <br />West parcel, while an 8" line runs north along the eastern edge of the WFC (Lloyd) parcel. <br />Water from the headgate installed on each property (identified by the solid blue circles on <br />Photo 1) will be directed into gated pipe, which will be used to feed water to a system of <br />furrows. <br />During the inspection, Mr. Benson commented that he would like to see a greater portion of <br />the Benson -West property irrigated throughout the bond release period. He said that he has <br />more water rights available for use on this property, now that he has sold the Benson -South <br />parcel to Mel Staats. He thought that putting in a vineyard on part of the Benson -West parcel <br />might be a good idea. If the Bensons and WFC wish to revise the post - mining land use for <br />the Benson -West property, any proposed changes would need to be submitted under a Permit <br />Revision. <br />• On the Benson -East parcel, a new "sinkhole ", or zone of differential settlement, appeared this <br />season in the irrigated area (Photo 7). The depression was dry at the time of the inspection, <br />but it was apparent that water had been ponded there earlier in the year. <br />REVEGETATION — Rule 4.15 <br />Vegetative Cover; Timing: <br />• On the Benson -West property, the slope above 2700 Road was stable, but predominantly <br />covered with annual weeds such as Kochia and Russian thistle. The slope down toward <br />Tuttle Draw, on the north, has a successful establishment of Four -wing saltbush (Photo 8). <br />• Vegetative cover on the flatter DP areas of Benson -West and WFC (Lloyd) was less <br />vigorous, but efforts on the north- facing slopes have met with greater success (Photo 9). <br />ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS /COMPLIANCE <br />No enforcement actions were issued as a result of this inspection, and none are pending. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 1 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 Page 4 of 9 <br />