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Spring Gulch, which drain into the Williams Fork River to the south, and Deacon Gulch, which <br />drains into the Yampa River to the north. The headwaters of many of these are fed by unnamed <br />springs located throughout the study area. <br />Geologically, the site occurs within the Axial Fold Belt, a low arch between the Uinta <br />and the White River anticlines (or uplifts). It is in the central -east portion of the fold belt and <br />at the southern boundary of a large anticline -- the Axial Basin Anticline -- and intervening <br />synclines. Other well known anticlines in the region include Blue Mountain, Cross Mountain, <br />and Danforth Hills. Geologically, it began to rise during the Paleocene and separated the Green <br />River Basin into two parts. Its upward movement was reactivated during the Tertiary and since <br />then most of the Tertiary -age rocks have been eroded away (Young and Young 1977: 57). <br />Within the study area the Cretaceous -age sedimentary rocks including sandstones and shales <br />along with major coal beds of the Williams Fork Formation form the bedrock. Soils in the site <br />area include Torriorthents-Rock outcrop, located on the backslopes of hills and mountainsides <br />with Torriorthents formed from residuum and colluvium derived from sandstone and shale <br />(USDA NRCS 2004:171). <br />The site is located in the transitional vegetation zone and is vegetated with big sage, <br />snakeweed, rabbitbrush, a few bushes of serviceberry, snowberry, grasses, and purple aster. <br />The canyon in which the site is located is characterized by mountain shrub land and riparian <br />ecosystems; vegetated with dense serviceberry, Gamble oak, and saltbush, with an understory <br />of sagebrush, yarrow, snakeweed, aster, wild rose, thistle, and Indian paintbrush. Stands of <br />aspen trees are visible a short distance away on the slopes of the valley to the northeast. <br />Ground visibility was approximately 80 percent during the excavation phase of the project. <br />Plate 1. Overview of site on <br />ridge nose that extends <br />southward into Jeffway Gulch. <br />