PERMFILE65632 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MOUNTAIN COAL COMPANY CORE HOLE SST-1 CULTURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY REPORT r INTRODUCTION Greystone conducted an intensive cultural resource inventory for an exploratory core hole, SST-1, on private surface in Gunnison County, Colorado. The survey was conducted for Mountain Coal Company, West Elk Mine, Somerset, Colomdo. The proposed core hole will be in the NE/NW/NE Section 15, T14S, R90W. Approximately 0.9 miles of access will need to be upgraded from an existing road in the NW/NW/NW of Section I5. The proposed core hole location and access are shown on Figure 1. Core holes are drilled with a small rig using a naturally level area or minimally prepared pad, and surface disturbance is typically less than 'h acre. The proposed action will take place on private surface, but activities associated with coal mining are under the jurisdiction of the Colomdo Division of Mineral and Geology. In accordance with policies and regulations implementing Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS) 1973 24-80-401 et seq., the cultural resource inventory was completed to locate, identify, and evaluate any cultural resources that might be affected by the proposed undertaking. The inventory was completed by Greystone archaeologist Car] Spath, PhD, on 28 July 2004 under the stipulations of State of Colorado Archaeological Permit #2004-27. All field documentation, original records, and copies of this report are on file at the Greystone office in Greenwood Village, Colorado. • AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT The project azea is about 10 miles east-southeast of Paonia on the lower slopes of Mount Gunnison in Gunnison County. The proposed core hole is on a level ridge top about 1 mile east of Wooten Mesa. Local topography is dominated by small mesas, steep-sided ridges, and deeply-incised drainages. Project elevations range from about 7,760 feet above mean sea level at the west end ofthe access near South Prong to 8,430 feet at the proposed core hole location. The location is in a level meadow surrounded by aspen. The access descends through a mix of aspen and oak brush. Nearby slopes are generally steep, often greater than 60 percent grade, and heavily overgrown with aspen and brush. Soils in the survey area are medium-brown, sandy clay loam with scattered sandstone cobbles and boulders and localized bedrock outcrops. Local bedrock is predominantly upper Cretaceous sandstone and shale ofthe Mesa Verde Group. There are shale outcrops in the general area, but none were observed at the drill locations or along the access. Soils are poorly consolidated and weakly developed in residual and colluvial sediments, and there are few small azeas of accumulation. Vegetation in the project area is predominantly aspen woodland with a high, moderately dense understory of woody brush, ferns, and fortis. Isolated spruce or fir are also thinly scattered through the general area. The aspen stands are broken by small, brushy meadows, some of which occur in shallow soils with bedrock exposures or in poorly drained areas. The density of undergrowth is variable. V egetation on vehicle and ATV trails is low and sparse, which provides for excellent visibility (85 to 100 percent). In contrast, the moderate to steep slopes away from the trails, where the understory is typically waist-high to chest-high, have very poor to fair surface visibility (0 to 40 percent). There are no readily evident subsistence or lithic resources in the survey areas, and no perennial water sources. Historic use ofthe area has been dominated by summer livestock grazing and recreational hunting. 210-Sunset Trnil Core Hole Rpt_(8. t 1.04)