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2. Land Use <br />Land use in the proposed Exploration Plan Area and surrounding lands is primarily <br />rangeland and wildlife habitat. <br />3. Surface Topography <br />The topography of the area is formed by the gently northwest dipping beds of the <br />Williams Fork and Iles Formations. These beds are cut by steep, deeply cut drainages. <br />The resulting topography is a series of pazallel drainages and gently sloping ridges <br />that aze aligned roughly north-south. The ridges aze terminated neaz the south end of <br />the proposed azea by east-west trending drainages. <br />Topographic elevations in the proposed area range from about 8300 feet on the high <br />points at the south end of the proposed area to a low of about 6900 feet at the north <br />end of the proposed drilling area. <br />4. Geology <br />There aze two formations potentially exposed in the proposed area. These are the <br />Williams Fork and possibly the Iles Formations of the Mesaverde Group. <br />The Iles Formation is the older and lowermost of the two formations. It consists of <br />massive cliff forming sandstones, siltstones, and coal seams that are generally thin <br />and often lenticular. A regionally continuous, massive sandstone referred to as the <br />Trout Creek Sandstone Member is located at the top of the Iles Formation. <br />The Williams Fork Formation lies conformably on top of the Iles Formation (Trout <br />Creek Sandstone Member). The formation consists of several series of alternating <br />beds of sandstone, siltstone, shale, and coal. The Williams Fork Formation ranges in <br />thickness from a few hundred feet thick to in excess of one thousand feet in thickness <br />in the proposed exploration area. <br />The coal beds of this formation are present in commercial quantities. Mineable coal <br />thickness ranges from a few feet to tens of feet. Some of the coal seams in this <br />formation aze currently mined at the existing Colowyo Mine, on the eastern side of <br />the proposed drilling azea. Many of the same coal seams in this formation aze the <br />tazget for this proposed definition and exploration program. <br />Surface Water <br />Surface water drainage systems within the proposed area may include both perennial <br />and ephemeral streams. Perennial streams in the area may include Wilson Creek, <br />Collom Gulch and Straight Gulch. Low average flows on the order of 5-10 gallons <br />per minute aze typical for these streams. Significant variation in stream flow is seen <br />N:\CCC_ENGWAN\DMG\LIOI_DOC\07NOI\07_NOI Tezt.doc <br />10/26/06 <br />