INSPEC28371

• Permit No: C1980004
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ON THE MCCLANE CANYON MINE
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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1. ~ tonic Places eligibility criteria (36 CFR 60.6). Should a resource
be determined eligible for listing in the National Register of His-
toric Places, the operator shall consult with and obtain the approval
of CPiLRD and OSPt concerning the development and implementation of
mitigation measures as appropriate.
2. Description of the Affected Environment
The mine site is located at an elevation of approximately 5800 feet. Land use
within the permit and adjacent areas is rangeland and wildlife habitat. Range-
land is generally confined to the lower lying canyon bottom lands. The upland
area consists of steep slopes and rugged topography and is primarily used by
wildlife. Some irrigated agriculture is practiced in the East Salt Creek Val-
ley which is adjacent to the permit area.
ticClane Canyon is located in the Roan Cliffs area just north of Crand Valley.
This area is northeast of the Garmesa Anticline and on the southern flank of
the Piceance Basin approximately 30 mile west and north of Grand Junction.
Local strata dip to the northeast into the Piceance Basin at approximately 2 ,
degrees. The.caal to be mined. is-within-a graben which is bounded by two
high-angle faults.
The upper Cretaceous, Mesa Verde Group, Mount Garfield-Formation is the coal
_-..__.,-__. _ _ bearing formation in the Book Cliffs Coal Field. This formation consists of
fine grained and. medium-grained--saudsfones and-gray-shales. =The Sego-Send- -
r '; stone underlies the Hount~Garfield Formation with the Hunter Formation overly- ~,
--_;' ing the ?count Garfield Formation. The Mount Garfield Formation contains four
coal zones; the Loma, Catbonera, Cameo, and Palisade zones. The Cameo seam
+•~ •~.~ • will be mined at the HcClaae Canyon Mine. : --- - -
No major bedrock aquifers of regional extent have been identified in the per-
'=`'' mit and adjacent areas by the applicant which is to be expected since the bulk
of the Cameo seam being mined 1s above water table. Drilling has 'indicated
that the Cameo coal seam becomes increasingly saturated down dip from its out- _
-ri ~.... .. - - -
crop in McClane Canyon. 'The coal seam subcrops in the East Salt Creek allu- -
vlum several miles from the mine which is identified as the recharge area for
the Cameo seam. Some local lenticular strata of limited extent have been -
identified above the Cameo seam which contain perched ground water.
Alluvial ground water exists within the East Salt Creek alluvium. The East
Salt Creek Valley contains an intermittent stream channel.
The climate in the region is arid. Prevailing winds at or near ground level
at the mine are dictated by the orientation of the deeply incised PtcClane Can-
yon. The annual average precipitation recorded at Fruica (22 miles southeast
of :(cClane Canyon) is 8.8 inches.
The soils mapped in the permit area are well to excessively drained and ha •:e
forned in alluvial or colluvlal sediments. Soils are deepest in the valley
bottoms and become shallower along the canyon sideslopes where they inter-
'` sperse with bare rock. All of the soils are rated good to fair as sources of
f) topsoil for reclamation. Lialtations exist for subsoils in the alluvium which
demonstrate strong alkaline pH values.