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- 6 - ~~ The mine occurs within the lower montane climax region. Three vegetation types occur witin and adjacent to the permit area. A greasewood shrubland type occupies the flat terrain along the East Salt Creek drainage where soils are deep, well drained and often very sodic and moderately saline. Shadscale shrubland borders the greasewood shrubland along the dry, steep, south facing slopes in the shallower soils which are interspersed with rock outcrops. Jun- iper Woodland is found along the ridge tops and steep north and west facing slopes of shallow soils and rock outcrops. These vegetation types are typical of western Colorado and eastern Utah. Surface Water Hydrology Surface water quality in East Salt Creek has been found by analyzed data pro- vided by the applicant to be substandard in quality, resulting in tb: opera- tion having little effect on water quality, but CriLRD will require a monitor- ing program to verify these conclusions. Surface water quantity and quality will be monitored upstream and downstream of the disturbance is IicClane Caayen and on East Salt Creek upstream and down- stream of the confuence of McClane Canyon and East Salt Creek. The only aspects of the operation that could potentially impact the surface water in adjacent areas is sediments from the face up, mine bench and roads. A sedimentation system approved by the C:iLRD and in compliance with the regu- lations will route undisturbed flow around the disturbance and will wnduct all flow from the disturbed area through a properly sized sedimentation pond. The water contained in the sedimentation pond will be released into the natu- ral drainage only after it is determined that the discharged water trill meet all applicable effluent standards. Several stipulations are required to bring the mine into compliance with StSCRA regarding surface water hydrology are listed in Che preferred alternative sec- tion. Ground Water Hydrology Drilling in the general area indicates the presence of a saturated zone vithin the Cameo seam but this saturated zone occurs outside of the permit area and is not expected to be encountered by projected mine workings during this per- mit term. The zone of saturation in the Cameo seam is recharged at the point where the Cameo seam subcrops below the Salt Creek alluvium approximately two miles up- stream of the mine. Very little recharge of the coal seams and sandstones oc- cur along outcrops because of the very low precipitation rate (S.8 inches) and the steep slopes that favor runoff over infiltration. The applicant has no monitoring wells in strata overlying or within the zone of the underground mine workings. This is because of the inaccessibility of the steep terrain to truck mounted drill rigs. Previous holes drilled in the area of the portals have been dry to a depth in excess of 200 feet below the Cameo seam and floor strata are not saturated in the area of the mine.