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S <br />iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii <br /> <br />999 <br />STATE. OF COLORADO <br />•~"-~~'• Roy Romer, Governor <br />.~~ fi ~„ <br />of <br />~:. <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES .' ~° <br />MINED LAND RECLAMATION DIVISION ~'• \ \ ~ ~ <br />~ , ~ ~,,. <br />FRED R. BANTA, Director , `'~~~ <br />September 9, 1988 <br />Mr. William Balaz <br />Kaiser Steel Corporation <br />102 South Tejon, Suite 800 <br />Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903 <br />RE: Chimney Rock Revegetation, File IJo. C-81-023 <br />Dear Idr Balaz: <br />As you are aware, Matt Hayes and I ran a number of vegetation cover and woody <br />plant density transects on various reclamation areas at the Chimney Rock Hine <br />during our July inspection. Areas vtere separated for sampling purposes based <br />on year of seeding and topographic position. Sampled areas included the west <br />slope of the East Pit backfill seeded Fall '84, the relatively flat "mesa top" <br />portion of the East Pit backfill seeded Fall '83 and '84, the west slope of <br />the East Pit backfill seeded Fall '81, and the gentle south facing slope at <br />the south end of the East Pit backfill seeded Fall '84. Sur~arized transect <br />data for those areas are enclosed. In addition, areas not quantitatively <br />sampled, including the east slope of the East Pit backfill, the Barren Ridoe <br />reclamation and the Federal Lease reference area were closely inspected and <br />qualitatively evaluated. <br />The areas which were evaluated are discussed separately below. The data and <br />observations support several concerns expressed previously by the Division. <br />These concerns include the extremely low number of woody plants throughout the <br />reclaimed area, the low number of perennial fortis in most areas, and the <br />questionable suitability of the established reference areas, particularly in <br />regard to standards of success for dryland pasture and irrigated alluvial <br />valley floor pasture reclamation. <br />South Facing Slope at South End of East Fill s a ,~ <br />Fa 1 Seeding ~QQuuj ?/"~C- /~ <br />This site was characterized by a diverse stand of grasses and one perennial <br />forb, birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus tennis). A few scattered four-wing saltbush <br />(Atriplex canescens) and wtnter~at eratoides Janata) plants were observed, <br />but no woody' p'~s were encountere in the c, 1 meter x 50 meter belt <br />transects. The stand appeared to be fairly well established, with few annual <br />weeds present and little indication of recent erosion. <br />F1 at Top of East Pit Backfi 11 /f /~ ~~./> ~I <br />Fal ., and r'a 6 Seeding ~'(~~ f~yl°Q <br />The site was heavi ly dominated by western viheatgrass (.4gropyro n smi thi i) , with <br />2t 5 Centennial Building, 7313 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203-2273 Te(. (3C3) 666-3567 <br />