APPCOR10105

• Permit No: C1981015
• IBM Index Class Name: Application Correspondence
• Doc Date: 6/12/1986
• Doc Name: REVIEW OF SOILS AND VEGETATION BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA FRUITA MINE COMPLEX
• From: MLRD
• To: TO GILLIS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
David H. Gelche; Executive Director
MINED LAND RECLAMATION DIVISION
DAVID C. SHELTON, Director
Richartl D. Lamm
Governor
DATE: June 12, 1986
T0: Tom Gi 11 i s ,(,///
FROM: Peter O'Connor
RE: REVIEW OF SOILS AND VEGETATION BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
FRUITA MINE COMPLEX
Pursuant to your request, I have reviewed the soils and vegetation baseline
data contained in the Central Lease application as well as reviewed the
July 1, 1985 replies to the Division's 1984 Preliminary Adequacy Review
(PAR). I have broken IRy comments down by discipline for ease of reference.
2.04.9 Soils Resource Information
1. A generalized (Order 3) soil survey was presented for the 47,000 acres
of the "Fruits Mines Study Area" by James P. Walsh 8 Associates, Inc.,
in a report dated November 1, 1983. This report provides a good
starting point for identifying soil resources at this site. However,
i,t should be stressed that more intensive soil sampling
(e. g., Order 2 survey) similar to what is presented in the
November 15, 1983 report by Walsh R Associates would be required if any
additional lands would be disturbed (i. e., areas exceeding the already
addressed 6,700 acres in the November 15, 1983 report). _
2. Footnote 2 for "Effective Rooting Depth" of the Chipeta silty clay loam
on Table 2.04.9-1 is missing. Please provide this footnote.
The following comments pertain to Table 2.04.9-8 "Depth of Suitable
Topsoil Material by Map Unit".
A. The "Recommended Depth of Maximum Salvage" for Bankard LS is
24 inches ("). However, the information presented in Table
2.04.9-7 "Evaluation of Soil Stability for Reclamation by Typical
Soil Pedon" would lend support to a greater soil depth to salvage.
Table 2.04.9-7 depicts a salvageable depth for Bankard Pedon 15
of 60"; whereas, the salvageable depth for Youngston Pedon 19 is
listed at 24". The limiting factor for not going deeper than 24"
in the Youngston soils is due to an "unsuitable" electrical
conductivity (EC). A review of the data presented in the appendix
specifies an EC of 14.2 mmhos/cm for 24"-41" depth of Youngston,
which is within the "Poor" category of Table 2.04.9-6 "Criteria for
Topsoil Suitability". Due to the extremely limited amount of
topsoil medium at this site, the applicant should consider
increasing the salvageable depth to 41" for the following reasons.
423 Centennial Building, 1313 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 Tel. [phone]