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bodies, irrigated fields and vegetation sample locations are depicted on supplemental <br />Map No. 1 "Twentymile Park Salt Loading Study Land Use and Hydrologic — <br />Boundaries." This and other information was used by the Division to make the <br />required findings with regard to material damage. <br />Required findings for identified alluvial valley floors on Fish Creek, Trout Creek, and <br />Foidel Creek/Middle Creek confluence are presented separately below. <br />Fish Creek <br />1. The proposed mining operations will minimally interrupt, discontinue or preclude <br />farming on a portion of the alluvial valley floor. <br />The boundaries of the Fish Creek AVF are as delineated on Map No. 15 of the <br />PAP. The AVF includes all alluvial deposits within and downstream from the <br />permit area as delineated on supplemental Map No. 1. Information discussed <br />below has reaffirmed the Division's original determination that alluvial deposits on <br />Fish Creek meet AVF criteria based on existing flood irrigation, potential for flood <br />irrigation and sub -irrigation. <br />Map 15 shows the following features in the Fish Creek AVF: areas having <br />potential for flood irrigation, currently flood -irrigated fields, diversion structures, <br />and irrigation ditches. <br />Several of the soils in the AVF exhibit late growing season ground water <br />elevations within six feet of the surface (Exhibit 16, Soil Mapping Unit <br />Descriptions and backhoe pit data provided on Page 2.06-9 of the PAP). Hay crop <br />species commonly grown in the Yampa Basin would be expected to benefit from <br />such shallow ground water. <br />The principal vegetation type on the Fish Creek AVF within the permit area is a <br />sagebrush meadow community dominated by silver sagebrush with a number of <br />sedge and rush species contributing significantly to the community. All of these <br />species are hydrophytes typically associated with subirrigated conditions. <br />Rule 4.24.3(1) allows for interruption of farming on "undeveloped rangelands <br />which are not significant to farming...". The Division received a letter from one <br />of the surface owners, Mr. Edward Camilletti, on January 23, 1998, regarding the <br />significance of the Fish Creek AVF to farming in sections 10 and 15, T5N, R86W. <br />The Camellettis use these lands as undeveloped rangeland. The landowner <br />estimated that I% of the ranch production is attributed to the Fish Creek AVF. <br />Twentymile Coal owns a significant portion of the lands in and adjacent to the Fish <br />Creek AVF. Twentymile Coal Company operates a cattle operation on these lands <br />and manages the land, through its ranch manager, Trout Creek Ranch, as <br />undeveloped rangeland. TCC does not utilize the Fish Creek AVF as cropland. <br />Foidel Creek Mine 40 August 10, 2018 <br />