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New Elk Mine (C-1981-012) —MT8 <br />Section III <br />Summary <br />Description of the Environment <br />The New Elk Mine is located approximately 24 miles west of Trinidad, Colorado. The New Elk Mine, <br />previously known as the Allen Mine, began operations in 1951. <br />The mine site is located in a plateau area. The elevation of the surface facilities ranges from 7,400 to 7,800 feet. <br />Land use in the area consists of cropland, rangeland, pastureland, and wildlife habitat. <br />Livestock grazing and hay production on irrigated lands are the main agricultural practice conducted in the <br />general area. A variety of large and small mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles are permanent or <br />temporary residents of the area. <br />The New Elk Mine is located in the western limb of the Raton Basin. The Raton Basin is a broad, <br />asymmetric syncline whose axis trends north -south. Previous mining at this site was entirely within the <br />Allen seam, stratigraphically located in the Raton Formation (Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene). The Poison <br />Canyon Formation (Paleocene) unconformably overlies the Raton Formation. The Poison Canyon Formation <br />has a thickness of approximately 200 feet and occurs only as small, isolated outcrops above an elevation of <br />8,000 feet. Unconsolidated Quaternary alluvial and colluvial deposits overlie the Raton Formation in the low <br />lying areas. <br />The rock strata dip approximately two degrees to the north northeast. The permit area contains one steep, <br />normal fault trending east-northeast with vertical displacement less than 25 feet. The Allen Seam lies <br />from 450 to 900 feet below the surface. Immediately above the coal are interbedded sandstones, siltstones, <br />and shales. Interbedded sandstones, shales, and siltstones also underlie the seam. <br />The alluvium of the Middle Fork of the Purgatoire River is a significant aquifer in the permit and adjacent <br />areas. The Purgatoire River originates several miles west of the mine in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. <br />It flows into the Arkansas River near 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 the permit area. <br />These basins contain intermittent and ephemeral streams that flow predominately in response to runoff from <br />snowmelt during the spring and intense rainfall during the summer. A portion of the flow in intermittent <br />drainages is sustained by groundwater discharges. Pete Canyon is tributary to the North Fork of the Purgatoire <br />River, while Apache and Ciruela Canyons are tributary to the main stem of the Purgatoire River. <br />The region is characterized by a semi -arid climate. The prevailing wind is from the southwest and average <br />annual precipitation is 16.92 inches. The length of the growing season in the area varies from 90 to 110 <br />days. <br />Vegetative communities in the area of the mine can be separated into two physiognomic types: the low <br />grassland and riparian communities along the Purgatoire River valley bottom, and forest communities <br />dominating the slopes and upland areas along the river valley. Communities on the north -facing slope <br />