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the Streeter Canyon, the deepest fill (the Streeter Fill) near the confluence of Streeter Drainage <br />and Goodspring Creek. These drainages are tributaries to Milk Creek, which flows into the <br />Yampa River which is located about seven miles north of the permit area. Precipitation averages <br />18 inches annually on the property and runoff is limited. Flows in the drainages are mainly in <br />response to snow melt or intense thunderstorm events. <br />Water sampled from the drainages is quite hard, dominated by calcium and magnesium cations <br />and bicarbonate and sulfate anions. The relatively high alkalinity and pH of the system impedes <br />the solubility and transport of heavy cations, thus minimizing potential toxicity problems <br />associated with heavy metals or acid drainage. <br />No alluvial valley floors (AVF's) exist within the azea to be mined. However, the alluvial <br />deposits of Goodspring Creek, Wilson Creek, and lower Elkhorn Creek meet the geomorphic and <br />irrigation criteria of an AVF and are discussed in Section B; Item XVII of this document. <br />3.2.10 Vegetation <br />Baseline vegetation information is found in Section 2.04.10, Map 4 and Exhibit 10 of the Permit. <br />Six vegetation communities and a small amount of cropland exist within the Mine permit <br />boundary. The major communities aze sagebrush and mountain shrub. Communities of minor <br />significance include a juniper community in the vicinity of Streeter Mountain, scattered aspen <br />groves in the upper reaches of Streeter and Taylor Creeks, a limited ripazian community along <br />Goodspring and Taylor Creeks, and a small western wheatgrass community in the southern <br />portion of the permit azea. <br />The sagebrush community occurs throughout the permit azea on all elevations, slopes and soils. <br />The community has developed wherever soil moisture retention and soil depth has become <br />limiting to other vegetation communities. The overstory is dominated by big sagebrush <br />(Artemisia tridentata) and snowberry (Svinohoricaroos oreoRhilus). Dominant grasses are <br />19 Revised October 30, 1997 <br />