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-5- <br />Description of the Environment <br />The Coal Ridge No. 1 Mine will extract coal from the lower portion of the <br />Williams Fork Formation. The mine will be located along the Grand Hogback <br />Monocline. The Grand Hogback trends east-southeast in the vicinity of the <br />proposed mine with the rock strata dipping to the south-southwest into the <br />Piceance Basin at an average of 60 degrees. <br />Ground water occurs in both bedrock and alluvial deposits in the vicinity of <br />the proposed mining operation. The potential of the Williams Fork strata as <br />an aquifer within the area of the mine is greatly limited by the extreme dip <br />of the rock strata which results in prohibitive drilling depths in a short <br />distance. <br />There are thick alluvial bodies present along the Colorado River in the <br />vicinity of the proposed mine. This alluvium is often used as a major source <br />of agricultural water for the region. The Coal Ridge No. 1 Mine is located <br />within the Colorado River Basin. The mine is directly adjacent to the <br />Colorado River, with the surface facilities located on alluvial/colluvial fan <br />terraces approximately 150 feet above the river. Only small ephemeral <br />drainages are located within the proposed five-year permit area. <br />The vegetation within the vicinity of the mine is characterized as <br />pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, mountain shrub, and irrigated cropland. The area <br />is used for limited grazing and wildlife habitat. Wildlife that inhabit the <br />area include large and small game animals and numerous birds and small mammals. <br />Soils in the area are characterized as moderately deep to deep well-drained <br />loams with a dark colored surface layer. Variability in the characteristics <br />of the soils in the area is primarily due to slope and topography. Deeper <br />soils are located in the valley bottoms and at the foot of slopes while the <br />shallower soils occupy the steeper side slopes. <br />The mine elevation is approximately 5,800 feet. The climate is semi-arid with <br />a mean annual precipitation of 16 inches. Average monthly precipitation <br />varies little throughout the year. Summers are hot, marked by very low <br />humidity and cool nights. Winters are cold, with light to moderate snowfall. <br />A certain amount of mine development work was completed by the applicant <br />during the initial three-year permit term. Two rock tunnel portals were <br />driven approximately 600 feet into the Grand Hogback, but due to financial <br />constraints did not reach the coal seam to be mined. Disturbed-area <br />collection ditches and a sediment pond were constructed, as were two working <br />pad areas. An access/haul road accesses the working areas of the site, <br />including the two portals. Topsoil has been properly salvaged from the <br />disturbed areas, and is stockpiled on the site for future reclamation. <br />