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-44- IX. CLIMATOLOGICAL INFORMATION AND AIR RESOURCES (2.04.8 Climatological documentation is presented on pages 58-66, Section 2.04 of Volume 1 and in the Climatology and Wind Direction Appendix, Volume 9. Colorado Westmoreland Inc. has also provided copies of all emissions permits from the Colorado Department of Health in Volume 9. Evaporation pan monitoring data is summarized in the Annual Hydrology Reports. Climatological data for the North Fork region is available from Paonia, three (3) miles due south and 1,500 feet lower in elevation than the mine site. The average annual temperature is 49.OoF at Paonia, with an average monthly mean of 24.5oF in January and 71.9oF in July. At Paonia, the annual precipitation is 8 to 15 inches. The local climate of the North Fork airshed is strongly influenced by microclimatic features - slope aspect, elevation, soil type, soil moisture content and vegetation. The steepness of the terrain, together with the type and amount of vegetation, orientation and range of elevation, are the mayor controls of the diurnal wind patterns. The shape and orientation of the North Fork valley is such that the drainage (or katabatic) flow is the dominant flow for most hours of the day. Prevailing winds are from the south-southeast, with wind speeds of ten (10) miles per hour occurring in June. Below Paonia, the wind speed appears to decrease sharply as the air spreads over the lower valley. Because of this strong drainage wind, frost pockets are not allowed to form, thus creating a favorable microclimate for fruit tree farming. The proposed operation is in compliance with the requirements of this section. X. TOPSOIL (2.04.9, 2.05.3(5), 2.05.4(2)(d), 4.06) Information pertaining to soil resources and their inventory may be found on pages 67-69, Part 2.04 of Volume 1 and in the Soils Appendix of Volume 9. Information pertaining to topsoil handling and redistribution may be found on pages 50-53 and 63-67, Part 2.05 of Volume 1. Disturbance at the Orchard Yalley Mine commenced in late 1975 and continues to date. Laws pertaining to topsoil salvaging have gotten more stringent with the enactment of each additional law. The initial development work of the Orchard Valley Mine benches and the storage and loadout areas occurred from October, 1975, to mid-1976 prior to the enactment of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act of 1976 and its topsoil salvaging requirements. Due to•the steep slopes in these areas, no topsoil was salvaged. Since enactment of the 1976 law, topsoil has been salvaged from disturbed areas. Soils within those portions of the permit area which have been or will be disturbed, are generally deep, well-drained, and vary widely in slope. Permeability values are low, encouraging surface runoff and resulting in high water erosion hazards. Available water capacities are generally high. Topsoil layers are generally shallow, ranging from 2-10 inches with surface texaures generally looms or clay looms and subsoils ranging from looms to cla,~s. Basaltic cobbles and stones are common throughout the profiles of most soils.