PERMFILE62008

• Permit No: C1981008A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 7/30/2007
• Section_Exhibit Name: Section 2.04.3 Site Description and Land Use Information
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

• which is about .5 mile south of the original Nucla Mine. The iwo permit areas are separated by
Tuttle Draw, which is an erosional feature that divides the coal seams into two distinct economic
units. New Horizon mine has been supplying coal to the Naturita plant since its opening in 1992.
Annual production from PCC's Nucla Mine totaled 90,000+ tons in the earlier years, and WFC's
New Horizon Mine produces about 350,000 tons per year.
Currently, agriculture and seasonal tourism related to hunting are the primary uses in the area.
The uranium industry is essentially dead and the ore processing plant once operated by Union
Carbide (now UMETCO) at Uravan is in the final stages of eradication and reclamation.
Adjacent Land Use
Land use adjacent to the New Horizon Permit area is either irrigated hay/cropland, abandoned
cropland or native rangeland used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Specifically, lands to
the west and north of the permit area are predominantly irrigated or abandoned irrigated cropland,
while lands east of the permit area are predominantly native rangeland, irrigated pasture or
residential sites. Lands to the south of the permit area are dominated both irrigated and
abandoned irrigated cropland, as well as native rangeland until south of Calamity Draw, where
irrigated cropland dominates once again.
• Active cropland areas are all irrigated because of the very dry climatic conditions experienced in
this region. Irrigation water is delivered to the area by the Colorado Cooperative Ditch. A system
of lateral ditches deliver water to the irrigated fields whereupon it is spread on the individual fields.
One of these laterals, the West Lateral, bounds or traverses portions of the permit area.
Improvements are generally limited to land leveling, where soils are deep enough, or to more
efficient delivery/water spreading systems. Cropland has been abandoned in several areas
because of either poor water availability, poor site characteristics related to topography and flood
irrigability or poor economic return. Poorer sites or areas with shallow soils are in irrigated
hay/pasture production while the deeper soils areas are in crop production or crop/hay rotations.
Crops normally grown are annual grains or corn for silage. Irrigated hay or pasture is
predominated by alfalfa with grasses such as smooth brome Bromus inermis), orchard grass
Dac lis glomerata) or introduced wheatgrasses (Agrooyron sp.) included in varying degrees of
composition to improve forage quality.
Native rangeland areas are used for livestock grazing and by wildlife. Classes of livestock in order
of importance are cattle, sheep and horses. In terms of land use, the more important wildlife
species are mule deer and elk. However, a wide variety of small mammals, predators, passerine
and upland game birds, and raptors frequent the area. While mule deer may be found in the
• immediate area year round, elk are more likely to be found in the area during the winter season
(Revised 2&luly06) 2.04.3-4