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The coal deposits along the North Fork of the Gunnison River lie in <br />Cretaceous rocks. As a result of regional uplift, the formations <br />with Cretaceous rocks are characterized by a natural bench with <br />steep topography along the North Fork of the Gunnison river. <br />Hence, the coal is exposed in a deep, essentially narrow canyon on <br />the faces of what Colorado characterizes as naturally occurring <br />highwalls, formed over centuries. Due to the rapidly increasing <br />overburden thicknesses in this area with these outcrops, most of <br />the portal areas along the North Fork of the Gunnison lie along the <br />steep outcrop of the coal, with the development of portals into the <br />coal seam. <br />The result of this method of extracting coal is the development of <br />benches, roads and other surface operation facilities in the <br />canyons. <br />• <br />\J <br />2.05-34 Rev. 04-30-93 <br />I•~ <br />