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RULE 2 PERMITS <br /> Hydrological Capability <br /> As explained and detailed in the discussions under Sections 2.04.5 and 2.04.7,the available ground <br /> and surface water supplies in and adjacent to the permit area are limited in quantity and highly <br /> variable in quality. No major groundwater discharge points occur in the permit area. Several small <br /> seeps do occur as a result of infiltration of snowmelt and rainstorm activity, but these are highly <br /> dependent on seasonal precipitation. Groundwater occurrence is very limited in the mining area. <br /> Surface water flows are also extremely limited. Two of the surface drainages are intermittent and <br /> two are perennial, but yield only slight amounts of water in the post snowmelt runoff period. The <br /> semi-arid climate prevailing in the area, detailed in Section 2.04.8, precludes extensive surface <br /> flows and contributes to the highly variable surface water quality found in the permit and adjacent <br /> areas. <br /> Capability of the Land to Support a Variety of Uses <br /> Physical and social constraints at the present time severely limit the variety of uses suitable for <br /> lands within the permit area. <br /> Alternative Land Uses <br /> Because of the hydrologic and soil constraints,there are serious limitations that might be expected <br /> if the present land uses of rangeland, pastureland and cropland are changed to other uses. <br /> Aside from edaphic and topographic limitations, residential, industrial, or commercial <br /> development appear unlikely due to the remoteness of the permit area from the population centers <br /> of Moffat and Rio Blanco counties. Historic population trends in the area reflect a centralization <br /> of population in the towns of Craig and Meeker. <br /> Recreational opportunities exist in the permit and adjacent areas, primarily involving the hunting <br /> of deer and elk. In recent years, land owners adjacent to the permit area have been leasing their <br /> lands to hunters in increasing numbers. This trend may continue on lands adjacent to the permit <br /> area,but the possibility for recreation on the permit area,as long as mining activities are on-going, <br /> is highly unlikely due to problems involved with safety. <br /> Aside from rangeland and limited amounts of cropland and pastureland, there are no viable <br /> economic changes in land use that can be made. <br /> Previous Underground Mining <br /> As mentioned earlier, underground mining activities of limited surface effect were carried on in <br /> the permit area from 1914 until 1974. Historical information regarding this previous underground <br /> mining is found in Section 2.04.4. From an historical viewpoint, the pre-mining land use, prior to <br /> any underground coal mining, was probably rangeland. <br /> Rule 2 Permits 2.04-3 Revision Date: 12/20/19 <br /> Revision No.: TR-135 <br />