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Surface water is characterized as a calcium/sodium bicarbonate water, neutral to slightly <br />alkaline, with low hardness. pH ranges from 6.15 to 8.8 and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) <br />ranges from 50-650 mg/l. <br />Ground water occurrence in the region can best be described as limited. Consolidated bedrock <br />aquifers generally have a low hydraulic conductivity and a low storativity, rendering bedrock <br />aquifers unusable for sources of economic water. Alluvial groundwater is present in the major <br />alluvial valleys of the region and is used for domestic purposes associated with ranching <br />activities. <br />Ground water quality is variable, but can generally be described as fair quality. Alluvial water is <br />suitable for most uses where TDS levels are not elevated. Bedrock water quality is fair from <br />shallow aquifers, but degrades with depth and would not generally be suitable for domestic use. <br />Lands in Las Animas County are classified and divided into zoning districts. There are two <br />zoning districts within the area around the Lorencito Canyon Mine; the Agricultural District and <br />the Rural Residential District. Underground and strip mines are a conditional use of these zoning <br />districts and require a special use permit. <br />Population is sparse in the region, with the vast majority of residents living along the Purgatoire <br />River and Colorado Highway 12. Ranching is the main focus for many of the residents, although <br />recently an increase in summer residents has occurred due to development and sale of ranchettes <br />in the area. Big game hunting in the region, particularly trophy elk hunting, is also an important <br />land use and source of income to many of the local ranchers and outfitters. <br />Permit Area <br />The mine is located on private lands within Las Animas County, Colorado, approximately two to <br />three miles southeast of the town of Weston. A detailed legal description of the lands included <br />within the permit area is described in Exhibit 2 of the PAP. The USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangle <br />map "Little Pine Canyon" encompasses the majority of the permit area. The mine area is on <br />lands south of the Purgatoire River, southeast of Cow Canyon, northwest of Jeff Canyon, and <br />west of Lorencito Canyon (the eastern boundary is approximately one mile west of the channel <br />of Lorencito Canyon). The permit area covers approximately 384 acres. (This area was reduced <br />from 3,142 acres with TR -18 in 2014.) <br />Climate in the area is semi -arid, with approximately 15 inches of precipitation annually. Forty- <br />four percent of the total annual precipitation comes in the form of rainfall during the months of <br />May, July and August; 67 percent occurs between May and October. Large flows occur down <br />ephemeral drainages in response to intense precipitation events. Snowmelt contributes only a <br />small percentage of total runoff, as infiltration and sublimation likely account for most of <br />available snowmelt waters. <br />Elevations within the permit area range from approximately 6700 feet above mean sea level in <br />the northeast part of the permit area to approximately 7300 feet in the southern permit area. <br />0 <br />