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The alluvial material also has relatively low hydraulic conductivity (approximately 0.1 to 0.01 <br />feet/day) due to its high composition of silts and clays. These alluvial waters are of poor quality <br />due to the proximity of the Lewis shale, contributions from agriculture, and the ephemeral nature <br />of Dry Creek (although the applicant reports that water is taken from Dry Creek bellow the <br />Loadout and used for irrigation). <br />Section B, Item III of this document includes a discussion of the PHC of the Loadout and the <br />railway loop on ground water quality and quantity and a further discussion of the ground water <br />monitoring plan. <br />Climate <br />The region is characterized by a semi -arid steppe climatic regime with cold winters and mild to <br />cool summers. The prevailing wind is from the northwest (reversing at night due to <br />southeasterly upslope winds). Average annual precipitation is 16 inches and the growing season <br />in the region is approximately 94 days. Climatic information was collected from the Hayden <br />Station, one mile away, and the Seneca II -W Mine, six miles south of the Loadout. <br />More detailed climatic information can be found in Tab 8 of the PAP. <br />Vegetation <br />Baseline vegetation information is found in Tab 10, Exhibits 10-1 and 10-2 of the PAP. Land <br />Use of the area is depicted on Exhibit 4-1. <br />Existing vegetative communities within the permit area consist primarily of dryland pasture, <br />improved pasturelands, and native rangelands. A detailed list of vegetation types is discussed in <br />Tab 10 of the PAP. Pasturelands that were disturbed during construction of the Loadout have <br />been revegetated to intermediate wheatgrass, crested wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, slender <br />wheatgrass, Russian wildrye, timothy, alfalfa, and yellow sweet clover. Undisturbed native <br />rangelands are dominated by sagebrush, greasewood, and rubber rabbit brush communities. <br />These latter plant species tend to be adapted to alkaline soils. <br />T and T Tse <br />Land use information is found in Tab 4 and Exhibit 4-1 of the PAP. Regional land use patterns <br />are shown in Figure 1, Tab 4 of the PAP. Specific findings regarding land use are described in <br />Section B, Item XI of this document. <br />Land uses in the permit area and surrounding area are primarily agricultural, rangeland, <br />industrial (a regional airport and Routt County maintenance facility), and wildlife habitat. Land <br />is farmed along the north margin of the railroad spur and south of the Loadout facility, with <br />winter wheat being the primary crop. Most of the disturbance associated with the construction of <br />the Loadout occurred in areas historically utilized for crop production, but which were taken out <br />of production and seeded with introduced grasses prior to the construction of the Loadout. <br />