REV99416 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

OXBOW MINING, LLC 2006 ELK CREEK MINE GOB VENT BOREHOLE PROPOSAL FOR BOREHOLES LOCATED ON USFS LANDS DESCRIPTION OF LAND TO BE AFFECTED The area where the proposed activities will occur includes portions of the Hubbard Creek and Beaz Creek drainages located on the north side of the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The proposed activities lie within Section 35, T12S, R91 W. 6`h PM and all within Delta County. Elevations in the immediate vicinity range from approximately 6,400 feet to 8,200 feet above mean sea level (amsl). The area is semi-arid with annual precipitation of approximately 17 inches. Soils vary in thickness from 0" on steep side slopes and rock outcrops to possibly 2' - 3' in drainage bottoms and north facing slopes. Due to the general steepness of the terrain, the drainage bottoms often contain a high percentage of rocky materials deposited by erosional and/or mass wasting processes. Vegetation on the lower elevations and slopes is predominantly a mixture of a mountain shrub community dominated by Gambel's Oak and a juniper woodland. Along the creeks, above approximately 7,000 feet in elevation, some dispersed Douglas firs are found with cottonwoods. Aspen communities are also typically found at this elevation or above, on the gentler sloping areas where moisture can accumulate. Bear Creek is characteristic ephemeral drainage with flows occurring in response to spring snowmelt and runoff from major rainfall events. Hubbard Creek is considered a perennial stream, although late season flows often consist primarily of diversions of stored water from upland off lease storage reservoirs. RESOURCE.EVALUATION, CULTURAL RESOURCES, T & E AND SENSITIVE SPECIES CLEARANCE. Environmental and Cultural Resources for the subject area have been analyzed and described in the following documents submitted previously to the Forest Service and DMG. 1. Final Environmental Impact Statement, Iron Point Lease Tract, Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract, Iron Point Coal Exploration License, USDI, Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forests, Februazy 2000. 2. Oxbow Mining, LLC, Elk Creek Mine, Block Clearance Project, Monarch and Associates and Michael Ward Outdoors, August 2005. (including Biological Assessment/Biologica] Evaluation) 3. Class III Cultural Resource Inventory of the Block Clearance Area for the Oxbow Mining, LLC Project in Delta and Gunnison Counties, Colorado by Grand River Institute, August 26, 2005.