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The quantity of water from Carbon Junction Canyon tributary to the Animas River would be insignificant <br />for the overall flow of the river. The drainage basin of Carbon Junction Canyon is only 0.8 square miles <br />compared to over 1090 square miles for the Animas River above the Colorado -New Mexico state line. <br />The Carbon Junction Mine is on Segment 13b of the Animas and Florida River Sub -basin of the San Juan <br />and Dolores River Basin. Colorado Water Quality Control Commission lists numeric standards for this <br />segment in its regulation 3.4.0. The permittee monitors water at two CDPS outfalls, the south pond, or <br />Pond 1 (outfall 001), and the north pond, or Pond 2 (outfall 002). Both ponds discharge to Carbon <br />Junction Canyon. Both ponds discharged in January 2005, but did not discharge in 2006 or 2007. Both <br />ponds have since been reclaimed, and their associated CDPS permit was terminated in 2009. Sampling of <br />springs 1, 3, and 4 was terminated in TR -13. <br />Climate <br />The climate of the area is relatively moderate, with a monthly low mean temperature of 25°F in January <br />and a monthly high mean temperature of 67°F in July. Record temperature extremes range from a high of <br />99°F, recorded in August, to lows of -27°F, recorded in January and February. Annual precipitation <br />averages 18.0 inches, with a maximum of 2.36 inches in August and a minimum of 0.98 inches in <br />November. The average snowfall is 65.3 inches, with the largest amount in January (21.2 inches), <br />followed by December (14.8 inches). The average wind direction is generally from the west, with an <br />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 dryland <br />wheat communities. The mountain shrub community is found primarily on the lower slopes and <br />drainages and is dominated by Gambel's oak. The pinon-juniper community occurs on higher areas and <br />in locations with shallow soils. In addition to pinon pine and Utah juniper, other common shrubs include <br />Utah serviceberry, Gambel's oak, true mountain mahogany, cliff Fendlerbush, and squaw apple. <br />Understory plants are relatively sparse. Dominant shrubs in the old field community are rabbitbrush, <br />broom snakeweed, big sagebrush, and true mountain mahogany. The dominant grasses are cheatgrass and <br />a wheatgrass hybrid. <br />Soils <br />The soils within the permit area consist of shallow to very deep clays and clay loams which are suitable as <br />a plant growth medium. The largest soils quantities will consist of a Falfa clay loam and some Zyme- <br />Rock outcrop complex. The Ustollic Haplargrids Series can be salvaged; however, it occurs sporadically <br />in pockets of sandstone and is sandy, gravelly, and cobbly. Some Ustic torriorthents soils exist but only <br />in depths of 3 inches or less and will be diluted with broken sandstone and therefore cannot be reliably <br />stripped. <br />Wildlife and Land Use <br />The land use prior to mining was wheat farming, wildlife use, and recreation. The current post -mining <br />land use is grazing land which is consistent with how the land is being managed. The Colorado Division <br />of Wildlife considers the proposed permit area to be a part of the region's critical winter range for deer <br />and elk. <br />Description of the Reclamation Plan <br />7 <br />