GENERAL30475

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 5/4/2007
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance for PR2
• Permit Index Doc Type: Findings
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

drained by two perennial streams: Goodspring Creek on the east, North Fork of Goodspring Creek on
the South, and Wilson Creek on the west. Taylor Creek, an intermittent stream located just inside and
generally parallel to the west boundary of the permit area, and generally pazallel to Wilson Creek,
flows into Wilson Creek north of the rail loadout. Several ephemeral drainages occur on the permit
area, including the Streeter Drainage. This drainage profile was raised as a result of excess spoil fill
in the Streeter Canyon, the deepest fill (the Streeter Fill) neaz the confluence of Streeter Drainage and
Goodspring Creek. These drainages are tributazies to Milk Creek, which flows into the Yampa River
about seven miles north of the permit area. Precipitation averages 18 inches annually on the property
and runoff is limited. Flows in the drainages aze mainly in response to snow melt or intense
thunderstorm events.
Water sampled from the drainages is quite hard, dominated by calcium and magnesium cations and
bicazbonate and sulfate anions. The relatively high alkalinity and pH of the system impedes the
solubility and transport of heavy cations, thus minimizing potential toxicity problems associated with
heavy metals or acid drainage.
Springs and seeps aze abundant in the area, with 59 originally identified during an inventory
completed in 1985. More recent inventory and study resulted in additional springs and seeps in the
South Taylor and Lower Wilson areas. Four springs were found to be perennial, two tributary to
Wilson Creek and two tributary to Good Spring Creek. The locations of all monitored springs and
seeps are shown on Map 10A, Volume 14. Spring and seep information is included in Tables
2.05.6-1 and 2 in Volume 12 for the South Taylor and Lower Wilson areas.
No alluvial valley floors (AVF's) exist within the area to be mined. However, the alluvial deposits of
Goodspring Creek, Wilson Creek, and lower Elkhorn Creek meet the geomorphic and irrigation
criteria of an AVF and aze discussed in Section B, Item XVII of this document.
The Wilson Reservoir, from which water is drawn for mining activities, is an important fishery of the
azea. The Wilson Reservoir was built in 1941, and is under the regulatory jurisdiction of the
Colorado Division of Water Resources. Except for a pumping station, the Wilson Reservoir is not
within the Permit area, and is not a part of the Permit. The pumping station at the reservoir, and the
pipeline from the pumping station to the main areas of the Mine, aze included in the Permit.
3.2.10 Vegetation
Baseline vegetation information is found in Section 2.04.10 Map 4 and Exhibit 10 of the PAP
original volumes. Vegetation information associated with the PR-2 Lower Wilson and South Taylor
expansion areas can be found in Section 2.04.10 of Volume 12, Exhibit 10 of Volume 13, and Maps
3, 4A, and 4B of Volume 14. Six vegetation communities and a small amount of cropland exist
within the Mine permit boundary. The major communities are sagebrush and mountain shrub.
Communities of lesser extent include a juniper community in the vicinity of Streeter Mountain,
aspen groves in the upper reaches of Streeter, Taylor and Wilson Creeks, a limited riparian
community along Goodspring, West Fork Goodspring, Wilson, and Taylor Creeks, and a small
Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance 4 May 2007
Permi[ Revision 02 Page 20