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Regionally, wind directions run east-west following the Yampa River Valley. More localized wind patterns trend along the side valleys. Land Use The current and historic land use of the area in which the operation is located is grazing land for livestock and habitat for wildlife. Regional land use patterns are oriented in three relatively distinct bands. Irrigated cropland is closely associated with the floodplain of the Yampa River. To the south, non-irrigated crops are grown on the sloping upland surfaces. The area nearest the mining operation is mostly hilly and mountainous terrain and used primarily as rangeland for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Soils The soils found within and adjacent to the mine plan area are typical of soils found in the cold, semi-arid regions of the Western United States. The soils are generally moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to shallow (10 to 20 inches) and have developed in weathered, interbedded fine sandstone, siltstone, and shale, and in local slope wash and colluvium. Most of the soils are Borollic Vertic Camborthids, Lithic Cryoborolls, and Pachic Cryoborolls. Most of the soil types found in the mine plan area contain at least six inches of suitable topsoil material. The best sources of topsoil material are the Splitro silt loam, the Winevada Loam, and the Cochetopa Loam, which comprise significant portions of the area to be disturbed. Salvage depths vary from 6 to 64 inches, resulting in an overall average sail replacement depth of 1.3 feet (15.6 inches) over regraded areas in the original permit area. Average soil replacement thickness in the South Extension area is 1.1 feet (13.2 inches), with We exception of aspen establishment areas, where average replacement thickness is 4 feet, and upland shrub establishment areas topsoiled in 2006, where average replacement thickness is 0.6 feet (7.2 inches). Vegetation Vegetation in the vicinity of the mine is characterized by three vegetative types; mixed brush, sagebrush grasslatid, and aspen. Aspen forest is the dominant vegetation type within the Wolf Creek/Sage Creek mine block disturbance area. Land use in the mine area is undeveloped rangeland, with a small area classified as industrial due to an oil well site. Because of livestock grazing, shrubs have increased in density while forbs and grasses have decreased. Vegetation in the vicinity of the tie-across haul road is characterized by four vegetative types: low sagebrush, meadow, .cropland, and greasewood. Land use in this area is non-irrigated cropland, industrial and rangeland. The non-irrigated cropland is used primarily for winter wheat production. The designated industrial area classification is the permitted Hayden Gulch Mine Loadout. Seneca II-W Findings Document 15 June 12, 2006 Permit Renewal No. 5