1981-08-12_INSPECTION - M1977493

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S TATL OF <_ Dl O C T. ti:, GYY e D Mc L DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESUUItC � III IIIIII'll"II'll � - Al 999 CLAM_� I IU_14Z, 423 Centennial Building. 1313 Sherman Street — - Denver, Colorado 80203 Tel (303) 839-3567 David C. Shelton Director August 12, 1981 f TO: Jim McArdle FROM: Michael Savage X4yA(AA- _ SUBJECT: Henderson/Urad Mine and Mill Inspection and Climax Mine Inspecti65 The following are my general impressions and concerns specifically related to vegetation/rnvegetationand topsoil at the Henderson, Urad, and Climax. facilities. Revegetation efforts at the Urad and Henderson mine area appear fairly successful when-one -considers the parameters cf cover and productivity. However, since primarily introduced ,grasses were utilized in the reclamation, I would be concerned as to whether the reclamation represents a stable vegetative system capable of sustaining itself over the long run. In the future I would stress the importance of including native species, particularly ones which are indigenous to the specific mine site. The planting of seedlings and tubelings is a commendable effort, however, experimentation with tubelings in other areas has resulted in high mortality. In the salvaging of topsoil with associated contemporaneous replacement, many Colorado coal operators have found large numbers of volunteer shrubs, trees, and forbs enhancing seeding efforts. Diversity of the reclaimed areas is fairly low since the introduced grasses planted tend to be very aggressive, often excluding natives. Revegetation of the outslopes of the Henderson tailings was poor, illustrating a distinct need for some type of soil or soil substitute. The topsoil which was replaced was not consistent in thickness, thereby forming pockets in which vegetative success was high, and areas where there was no growth. Revegetation at the Climax mine appeared to have a higher priority than at the Henderson mine and mill. High altitude revegetation experiments and stabiliza- tion efforts on steep road cuts were two areas in which Climaxes efforts were exceptional. The greatest single concern I had was the wholesale wasting of topsoil. The mineral law does not require the salvaging material other than that which is directly above overburden to be removed, however, I feel the Amax operations are significantly reducing their chances for successful and aesthetically pleasing reclamation by failing to salvage as much topsoil as possible. In high elevations soil genesis may take as long as 100,000 years. To assume that successful vegetative systems may be developed on sludge/wood chips and develop- ment rock is at the least tenuous.