Laserfiche WebLink
Quaternary alluvial and colluvial deposits overlie the Raton Formation in the low-lying areas. <br /> The rock strata dip approximately two degrees to the north-northeast. The permit area contains <br /> one steep, normal fault trending east-northeast with vertical displacement less than 25 feet. Four <br /> coals seams are of mining interest in the New Elk Mine permit area and include (from bottom to <br /> top)the Allen, Apache, Maxwell and Blue Seams. Both the Allen and Apache Seams attain <br /> mineable thickness throughout most of the proposed permit area, whereas the Blue and Maxwell <br /> Seams are more local in extent. The rocks immediately above and below the seams consist of <br /> interbedded sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. Detailed information on the stratigraphy of these <br /> seams can be found in the 6A map series. Some key facts about these seams follows. <br /> • The thickness of the Allen Seam varies from 2 to 8 feet. The Allen Seam lies from 450 to <br /> 900 feet below the surface. <br /> • The Apache Seam is stratigraphically located 20 to 50 feet above the Allen Seam and has <br /> a thickness ranging from 1 to 6 feet. <br /> • The Maxwell Seam is located 25 to 50 feet above the Apache Seam and has a thickness <br /> ranging from 1 to 5 feet. The Maxwell Seam was extracted in the Golden Eagle Mine <br /> which was a longwall operation. The seam thins westward from the Golden Eagle <br /> towards the proposed permit area where it averages 2.5 feet thick. This seam is not <br /> prominent in the New Elk mine plan. <br /> • Potentially mineable coal occurs in the Blue Seam within the northern part of the <br /> proposed permit area and occurs high above the Maxwell Seam in the Upper Coal Zone <br /> of the Raton Formation. The thickness is shown on Map 6A - Sheet 1. <br /> In the PAP, Maps 5, 6, 6a(sheets 1 — 16), 7, 18, and 19 depict the geology at the New Elk Mine. <br /> Hydrology <br /> The alluvium of the Middle Fork of the Purgatoire River is a significant aquifer in the permit <br /> area(including the loadout) and adjacent areas. The Purgatoire River originates several miles <br /> west of the mine in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. It flows into the Arkansas River near <br /> Las Animas, Colorado, approximately 120 miles northeast of the mine. <br /> Portions of the Apache Canyon, Pete Canyon, and Ciruela Canyon drainages are found within <br /> the primary portion of the permit area. These basins contain intermittent and ephemeral streams <br /> that flow predominately in response to runoff from snowmelt during the spring and intense <br /> rainfall during the summer. A portion of the flow in intermittent drainages is sustained by <br /> groundwater discharges. Pete Canyon is tributary to the North Fork of the Purgatoire River, <br /> while Apache and Ciruela Canyons are tributary to the main stem of the Purgatoire River (aka <br /> the Middle Fork). No intermittent, ephemeral, or perennial drainages cross the Jansen Loadout <br /> site. An intermittent arroyo named Colorado Canyon arroyo borders the site on the eastern <br /> boundary. This arroyo flows only during snowmelt episodes in the spring or from storm runoff <br /> after summer thunderstorms. <br /> In the PAP, Map 8 depicts the regional hydrology. <br /> New Elk Mine <br /> November 2019 Findings for RN-07 <br /> 5 <br />