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The Division proposes to approve these standards. <br /> E. The Division has already approved of the reference area used for the New <br /> Horizon 1 area which the applicant has selected based on the requirements of <br /> Rule 4.15.7(3). <br /> F. The reference areas will be utilized to determine revegetation success in a manner <br /> which the Division finds acceptable 4.15.7(4). <br /> VII. Post-mining Land Use <br /> A. The Division is proposing to approve alternative post-mining land uses of <br /> irrigated hayland, irrigated pasture and dryland pasture for the proposed New <br /> Horizon Mine 2 area. <br /> VIII. Protection of Fish, Wildlife and Related Environmental Values <br /> A. Fish and wildlife habitat is a planned post-mining land use. The applicant has <br /> selected appropriate plant species and distributions to benefit fish and wildlife <br /> (4.18(4)(i)). <br /> IX. Operations on Alluvial Valley Floors <br /> A. The Division has determined that there are no alluvial valley floors along Tuttle <br /> or Calamity Draws by definition. Geomorphicatly, these draws are located in <br /> uplands several miles northeast of the San Miguel River. The uplands are <br /> overlain by less than ten feet of unconsolidated material, which has been <br /> classified as aeolian and sheet wash material. (The depths of unconsolidated <br /> material are documented in Appendix 6-1.) These draws would only have <br /> intermittent flow if it were not for irrigation return flows and the areas are not <br /> naturally subirrigated. <br /> These areas are flood-irrigated by waters acquired from a headgate on the San <br /> Miguel River, located approximately 15 miles upstream. San Miguel River water <br /> quality (TDS of 180 mg/1) is far better than that found in either Tuttle (TDS of <br /> 1200 mg/1) or Calamity Draws (TDS of 1950 mg/1). Water from Tuttle or <br /> Calamity Draws could not be used for agriculture without very controlled <br /> management. <br /> The San Miguel River could support several potential alluvial valley floors. <br /> However, since the mine areas are two-and-a-half to three miles upstream, the <br /> distance separating the mine from the river is sufficient to mitigate any impacts. <br /> In addition, the amount of flow contributed by Tuttle Draw and Calamity Draw to <br /> the San Miguel River is very small (0.4 percent of annual mean flow at Uravan). <br /> Therefore, the San Miguel River AVFs are considered to be located outside of the <br /> potentially affected area. <br /> 21 <br />