2013-07-11_REPORT - M1988044 (2)

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population in many upland areas, but this year has seen what appears to be an increase in annual thistles of the genus Circium. In some places outside Schmidt's responsibility, especially near the crossing of the East Valley stream, these thistles are becoming a locally serious problem with widespread and very dense growths. Control is advised. 2. Weed status on lessee responsibility lands: As described above. OTHER INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE: As described below, the stream channel on the south end of the lease area is threatened by the influx of sand from upstream locations. DESCRIPTION OF UNUSUAL CONDITIONS OR EVENTS: Over the last couple of years the increasing interest in oil and gas development on this part of the Lowry Range is of some concern to the mining and the mine reclamation program. So far, conflicts have been very few and minor. A new procedure has been developed and approved by the DRMS to allow Schmidt to remove from the Reclamation Permit land that has been affected by oil and gas development and which Schmidt does not desire to assume responsibility for. Essentially, all of that acreage has been removed with one tiny piece left so Schmidt has access to the Lowland and Upland mining areas in the East Valley without having to cross a stream channel. If it is decided that channel crossing is feasible then this tiny piece of oil and gas development affected land will likely to removed. If removed now it can only be added back by means of an amendment process. The flood event in early June of 2012 inflicted considerable damage on riparian and wetland habitats from the Big Wetland, located a short ways upstream from the confluence of the East Valley and Coal Creek. Most of the damage involved the destruction of established young growths of willow and cottonwood and the burial of sedges, a few cattails, and rushes in the upper half of the Big Wetland. In some places deposition of deep sand buried the vegetation in an aggradational increase in the channel elevation. This created a wave pattern for a couple of hundred yards down stream that washed out the road and created a few scours into the clayey underlayment of the original sand deposit that has supported so much growth. The scours are of much less concern than the volume of sand that continues to creep downstream into reclaimed land and well established riparian woody vegetation and dry channel forbs plus rich patches of obligate or facultative obligate wetland species. However, on the whole, nearly all of the area affected by the flood has recovered very well in just one year and should be even stronger by September 2013, provided there are no more floods. Following are several pages of comparative photographs of the flood damaged lands on the south end of the site. Each page contains two photographs taken essentially one year apart. The top photo on each page shows the flood damages a few days after the flood occurred. The bottom photo on each page shows the way that area appears today. It is quite apparent that recovery has been rapid. In most areas, the vegetation is approaching its condition prior to the flood and it is likely by the end of the 2013 summer most areas will have fully recovered. Other, more damaged lands may take another year to two before they fully recover, but those lands constitute a small fraction of the total. Status report for 2013 due July 15, 2013 Page 13 of 16