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• the Canadian River to the north of the study area. <br />The tertiary Coalmont Formation is the major geologic formation in <br />North Park (Ibid.), and soils are primari],y sandy to shaley, with dense gravel <br />and cobble exposures on upland terraces. Surface lithic materials are general- <br />ly siliceous (quartz, quartzite, chert, agate, petrified wood), with some <br />granites and diorites. The upland features are subject to sheet wash and minor <br />gulp erosion, with some fluvial deposition of sediments occurring in drainage <br />bottoms. Most draws and washes are stabilised by vegetation, and annual run- <br />off does not appear to have dramatic erosional effects. <br />Vegetation in the study area is dominated by low shrubs, grasses, (orbs <br />and cacti. Sage, rabbitbrush, and antelope bitterbrush are common on terrace <br />tops and slopes, with grasses and forbs more dominant in drainage bottoms. <br />Ground surface visibility during the G3:K spring, summer, and winter field in- <br />vestigations remained fairly constant, and ranged from near 0~ in grassy bot- <br />tomlands, to 20 30~ on slopes, to 40-b0~ on ridge tops. Visibility is 100; <br />in areas of rodent, insect, or human (e.g. drill sites, roads) disturbance. <br />Fauna noted or inferred for the study area includes antelope, rabbit, <br />• ground squirrel, other small rodents, sage grouse, raptors, songbirds, and in- <br />sects. See Anderson and Bleacher (1979:6) for historic/prehistoric large <br />mammals of the region. Extensive evidence of domestic cattle was also noted. <br />Inventory Results <br />The cultural resource evidence located during the course of the CddC <br />field investigations Falls into three chronological/cultural categories: <br />recent (post-pD 1930), historic (ca. AD 1900-1930), and aboriginal/prehistoric. <br />Recent cultural evidence noted indicates use of the study area during the past <br />50 years for ranching, access, survey, recreation, and energy minerals devel- <br />opment. The evidence includes access roads, numerous cadastral survey markers, <br />vegetation control plots, fences, livestock spoor and maintenance facilities, <br />the remains of butchered antelope, rifle shell casings, coal exploration drill <br />sites,. and scattered trash. None o£ this cultural evidence meets the criteria <br />for nomination to the NRHP and .it is~-a11 considered to be of minimal archaeolog- <br />. ical value for the purposes of this study. <br />-b- <br />