2020-06-16_PERMIT FILE - C1981035A (11)

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INTRODUCTION A Class III cultural resource inventory of approximately 50 acres (20.2 ha) was carried out for National King Coal in the Hay Gulch area, southwest of Hesperus, La Plata County, Colorado (Figures 1 and 2). The inventory was carried out by Laurens C. and Nancy S. Hammack of Complete Archaeological Service Associates (CASA) on July 14 and 28, 2005. The project area, on State of Colorado lands, is proposed for additional coal mining operations. This project was carried out in compliance with applicable historic preservation legislation and laws. The field work was was carried out under the provisions of State of Colorado Archaeological Permit No. 2005-21. National King Coal intends to open a new mining operation into the base of the ridge at the head of the valley. Ground disturbance will include construction of an access road and a mine shaft with associated infrastructure. EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENT The project area (Figure 3) is located in a tributary side valley to Hay Gulch, which flows south into the La Plata River. Locally known as Cochron Canyon, the valley is currently under a grazing lease to the Ute Mountain Ute tribe. The drainage which runs down the center of the valley is well entrenched and supports several large boxelder trees and other riparian vegetation. The valley floor Is covered with heavy cheatgrass, thistles, mullen, sagebrush on the west bank and rabbitbrush on the east side. Steep ridges of decomposing tabular red and yellow -white sandstone rise to the east and west and the head of the survey area. These ridges are covered with thick pinyon juniper and oakbrush, pencil cholla, prickly pear cactus, and yucca. Elevations in the survey area range from 7200 feet along the Hay Gulch road to 7500 feet at the northernmost edge of the survey area. The current and paleoenvironment of the general area has been summarized in detail in Chenault (1996). . Track roads follow both the east and west sides of the valley, along the ridge bases. The western track is relatively recent and goes to an abandoned well pad at the head of the western canyon branch. This wellpad is United Co. of Texas's B+2 State No. 1 (21007NL, 1105' FWL). The eastern edge of the valley appears to have been used during the 1940s for trash dumping, while the main stream channel has been used during the last twenty years as a major trash dump. Tires, beds, furniture, appliances appear to have been deposited, probably since farming of the valley ceased. A a barbed wire and wooden fence post rectangular fenced area is located adjacent to the county road and ditch. The Hay Gulch irrigation ditch follows the north side of County Road 120. This ditch is shown on the 1968 USGS map as only extending to the east edge of the survey parcel and appears to have been extended further downstream since that date. The ditch is not lined and is not well maintained. CULTURAL HISTORY AND PREVIOUS RESEARCH Background data on the cultural history and previous research of the general area has been recently summarized in Chenault (1996). Volume 1 of this series summarizes the Class 2 inventory of the Mancos and La Plata river basins for the proposed Animas -La Plata irrigated lands project. The majority of cultural resources previously recorded within the Hay Gulch drainage relate to the historic occupation of the area. According to interviews in A History of Southwestern La Plata County in Colorado (1991), the valley has been settled since the late 1800s. The name is derived from the fact that the Fort Lewis Cavalry obtained all of the hay for their horses from the the valley. The earliest date in the Hay Gulch Cemetery is 1883. This cemetery is located on the ridge just to the west of the survey parcel. It was used between the 1880s and 1920s and was fenced in 1976. The Hay Gulch Ditch was begun in the late 1800s from the La Plata River, with numerous extensions over the years down to the survey parcel in the