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through the sedimentary strata to the point where the stream channel intersected the Cameo coal <br />seam. The underground workings of the McClane Canyon Mine extend roughly eastward into the <br />Cameo seam from a point where the coal seam outcrops in McClane Canyon. McClane Canyon is <br />a small tributary canyon to the East Salt Creek drainage. In addition to the saturated portions of the <br />Cameo seam, some local lenticular strata of limited extent situated above the Cameo seam have been <br />found to contain ground water perched within the strata. Saturation of the Cameo seam occurs at <br />about 5580 ft. elevation. <br />East Salt Creek is an intermittent stream tributary to the Colorado River. The East Salt Creek Valley <br />has been designated as an alluvial valley floor (AVF), with both undeveloped rangeland and irrigated <br />hayland mapped on the AVF in the vicinity of the mine. Existing and proposed surface disturbances <br />associated with the mine are located in the McClane Canyon drainage basin upstream from the AVF <br />boundary, with the exception of office trailer facilities and the lower portion of the access road, <br />which are situated within the boundaries of the AVF. <br />The climate in the region is semi -arid. Prevailing winds at or near ground level at the mine are <br />dictated by the orientation of the deeply incised McClane Canyon. The annual average <br />precipitation within the permit area increases with elevation from approximately 10 inches along <br />East Salt Creek, up to 15" on the ridges above 7000 feet. <br />Soils in the permit area are well drained to excessively well drained and have formed in alluvial or <br />colluvial sediments. Soils are deepest in the valley bottoms and become shallower along the canyon <br />sideslopes where they intersperse with bare rock. Most of the soils are rated fair to good as sources <br />of topsoil for reclamation. Limitations exist for subsoils in the alluvial deposits along valley bottoms <br />due to high sodium content. <br />Vegetation types within and adjacent to the permit area are broadly classified as lower montane. <br />Three primary vegetation types occur in the permit and adjacent area. A greasewood shrubland type <br />occupies the flat terrain along the East Salt Creek drainage where soils are deep, well drained and <br />often very sodic and moderately saline. Shadscale shrubland borders the greasewood shrubland <br />along the dry, steep, south facing slopes in the shallower soils which are interspersed with rock <br />outcrops. Juniper woodland is found along the ridge tops and steep north and west facing slopes of <br />shallow soils and rock outcrops. These vegetation types are common to western Colorado and Utah. <br />Current and historical land use within the permit area is livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Cattle <br />are run seasonally within the rangelands and grazeable woodlands. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />The McClane Canyon Mine is currently a non -producing underground coal mining operation. The <br />Division on February 15, 2011 received notification from McClane Canyon Mining, LLC that the <br />McClane Canyon Mine would be in temporary cessation and would likely remain in that status for <br />more than a year. <br />The permit area encompasses 3,561.4 acres, of which approximately 1,641.7 acres have been <br />affected by mining under the current mining plan. The area approved for surface disturbance is <br />14.35 acres. The Actual on -the -ground disturbance is presently 9.6 acres (2017 ARR). Existing <br />facilities consist of a portal bench and coal handling/stockpile area; an access/haul road <br />approximately 1/2 mile in length leading from State Highway 139 up to the portal area; an office <br />trailer, bathhouse and parking area on the East Salt Creek valley floor; and topsoil and construction <br />