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Climate <br />The climate of the area is relatively moderate, with a monthly low mean temperature of 25 °F in <br />January and a monthly high mean temperature of 67°F in July. Record temperature extremes <br />range from a high of 99 °F, recorded in August, to lows of -27 °F, recorded in January and <br />February. Annual precipitation averages 18.0 inches, with a maximum of 2.36 inches in August <br />and a minimum of 0.98 inches in November. The average snowfall is 65.3 inches, with the <br />largest amount in January (21.2 inches), followed by December (14.8 inches). The average wind <br />direction is generally from the west, with an average speed of less than one knot. <br />Vegetation <br />The permit area consists of a mosaic of pinon juniper, mountain shrub, old field and cultivated <br />dryland wheat communities. The mountain shrub community is found primarily on the lower <br />slopes and drainages and is dominated by Gambel's oak. The pin-on-Juniper community occurs on <br />higher areas and in locations with shallow soils. In addition to pinon pine and Utah juniper, other <br />common shrubs include Utah serviceberry, Gambel's oak, true mountain mahogany, cliff <br />Fendlerbush, and squaw apple. Understory plants are relatively sparse. Dominant shrubs in the <br />old field community are rabbitbrush, broom snakeweed, big sagebrush, and true mountain <br />mahogany. The dominant grasses are cheatgrass and a wheatgrass hybrid. <br />Soils <br />The soils within the permit area consist of shallow to very deep clays and clay loams which are <br />suitable as a plant growth medium. The largest soils quantities will consist of a Falfa clay loam <br />and some Zyme -Rock outcrop complex. The Ustollic Haplargrids Series can be salvaged; <br />however, it occurs sporadically in pockets of sandstone and is sandy, gravelly, and cobbly. <br />Some Ustic torriorthents soils exist but only in depths of 3 inches or less and will be diluted with <br />broken sandstone and therefore cannot be reliably stripped. <br />Wildlife and Land Use <br />There had been no grazing on the site since 1979. The land uses prior to mining were wheat <br />farming, wildlife use, and recreation. The permittee has been approved for the entire site to <br />become commercial /industrial, recreation, and residential. In 2004, the City of Durango <br />approved Oakridge Energy's conceptual plan for development of the Ewing Mesa subdivision. <br />The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife considers the permit area to be a part of the region's <br />critical winter range for deer and elk. <br />Description of the Reclamation Plan <br />The Carbon Junction Mine permit area was reclaimed in 2006, with the exception of sediment <br />control. Tasks included backfilling, regrading, topsoil replacement, and seeding. The <br />reclamation plan is described in Section 2.05.4 of the Abridged Permit Document approved with <br />this permit renewal. <br />11 <br />