Laserfiche WebLink
L <br /> All wells meet the recommended water quality standards for livestock watering. The <br /> underburden aquifer does not produce acceptable water for domestic purposes;TDS, sulfate <br /> and ammonia standards are exceeded. <br /> Ground water within 150 feet of the ground surface has been only minimally developed for <br /> use in the Nucla area. High salinities and occasionally high sodium or sulfate concentrations <br /> preclude its use as domestic, agricultural or stock water. In addition, moderate hydraulic <br /> conductivities are coupled with low sustained well yields (less than 1.5 gpm), discouraging <br /> sustained dependence on wells completed within these aquifers. <br /> Soils <br /> There are three major soils types at the New Horizon Mine 2 area (see Soils Map of the <br /> permit application): Progresso-Bond Complex, 2 to 15 percent slopes; Barx sandy loam, 1 <br /> to 4 percent slopes; and Haplaquolls, 1 to 3 percent slopes. <br /> The Progresso-Bond complex is comprised of 40 percent Progresso, 40 percent Bond, 10 <br /> percent Barx (see below), 5 percent Travesilla, and 5 percent Bowdish series soils. The <br /> Progresso series is classified as a fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, Ustollic Haplargid. The Bond <br /> series is a loamy, mixed, mesic Lithic Ustollic Haplargid. The main difference between <br /> these two is the distance to bedrock; Bond soils are shallow (17 to 19 inches to bedrock) <br /> while Progresso soils are fairly deep (36 inches to bedrock). This complex is found on <br /> gently to strongly sloping irrigated uplands over much of the New Horizon Mine 2 area. <br /> The soils are shallow to moderately deep, well drained sandy loamy formed in sandstone <br /> derived alluvium. Topsoil quality is good to an average depth of 2.1 feet. <br /> The Barx soil is found in the southeast corner of the New Horizon Mine 2 permit area. It <br /> is classified as a fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Ustollic Haplargid. It is a deep, well drained <br /> sandy loam formed in sandstone derived alluvium. Part of this soil unit (about 15 acres) has <br /> been historically used for hay production, is irrigated with a dependable water supply, and <br /> was reclaimed as prime farmland but was recently declassified as prime farmland by the <br /> USDA - NRCS (Soil Conservation Service). <br /> The ephemeral drainages of the New Horizon Mine 2 area contain three families of <br /> Haplaquoll soils; Lithic, Lithic/Typic, and Typic Haplaquolls. The loamy, mixed, mesic, <br /> Lithic Haplaquolls are found in the upper reaches of the swales in the area and are the <br /> shallowest of the three series (bedrock at 11 inches). Lithic/Typic Haplaquolls <br /> (coarse-loamy, mixed, mesic, moderately deep Typic Haplaquolls) are found in the mid to <br /> lower reaches of the swales and exhibit good quality soil to a depth of about 24 inches. The <br /> fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, deep Typic Haplaquolls are found in the lower reaches of the <br /> swales and along Calamity Draw. These soils have sandy loam and loam textures to a depth <br /> of about four feet with sandy clay loam below that. The soils were classified as Haplaquolls <br /> because of soil wetness. However, this diagnostic factor is artificially induced because of <br /> irrigation water. The soils were formed in the alluvium of the swales. Fair to good quality <br /> topsoil exists in the swale areas in thicknesses from 1.2 to over 4 feet. <br /> 9 <br />