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Elk Creek Mine (C-1981-022) MT-8 <br /> The valley in which the towns of Paonia and Somerset are situated is semi-arid, with annual <br /> precipitation averaging about 15 inches per year. Mean annual precipitation increases with <br /> elevation, reaching over 40 inches per year near the summit of Mt. Owen. The May to September <br /> precipitation is five inches for the lowlands and 13 inches for the mountain peaks. This indicates that <br /> snowfall patterns play an important part in determining the hydrologic conditions of the area. <br /> Temperature extremes at Paonia have ranged from —28°F in January to 100°F during July and August. <br /> The average annual temperature is approximately 49°F. Snowfall averages 58 inches per year. <br /> The general area in which the Elk Creek Mine is located is characterized by steeply sloping mountains <br /> covered either with tall shrub vegetation dominated by oakbrush and serviceberry, or stands of <br /> pinyon and juniper trees. Drainages in the area are lined with riparian vegetation communities along <br /> the stream banks. Some of the more level areas have been cleared and support limited livestock <br /> grazing; however, for the most part, the surrounding land is undeveloped and is used primarily as <br /> wildlife habitat. Recreational activities such as big game hunting, trapping, fishing, and off road <br /> driving also occur in the general area. <br /> The Elk Creek portal facilities are approximately a half mile up the Elk Creek canyon from the town of <br /> Somerset and are located at the contact of the alluvium of the North Fork and steep upland <br /> sedimentary formations. <br /> Sanborn Creek Tract portal facilities were just east of Sanborn Creek or approximately one mile east <br /> of the town of Somerset. <br /> Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plan <br /> The Somerset and Sanborn Creek Mines, now the Elk Creek Mine, were in operation from 1902 to <br /> 2013. Operations evolved from the earlier hand method of mining, to continuous mining methods, <br /> and, finally, to longwall mining. <br /> The conventional room and pillar mining system used continuous miners, shuttle cars, conveyors <br /> and/or rail cars. All coal was transported to the surface using rail cars. Approximately 12 to 14 feet <br /> of the B seam were mined in the development and retreat cycle. Annual production in the mine was <br /> approximately 900,000 tons per year. <br /> Once at the surface, the rail cars dumped the coal at the dump station where it was conveyed to the <br /> tipple. The coal was crushed at the tipple and conveyed to the coal storage silo. The silo, a cylindrical <br /> cement structure, straddled the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad track and was used to load <br /> unit trains. <br /> The Sanborn Creek addition was located approximately one mile east of the town of Somerset. <br /> Initially, this part of the mine was developed and mined using conventional room and pillar <br /> techniques with the same conventional equipment as previously discussed, except that conveyors <br /> were used in place of rail cars. Annual production of this part of the mine was projected to be about <br /> Page 8 of 22 <br />