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The main mine facility is located in the Starkville drainage. This drainage flows <br />only in response to rainfall or snowmelt. Starkville Gulch drains into Raton <br />Creek, which is tributary to the Purgatoire River. <br />The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate. Prevailing winds are from the <br />southwest at an average speed of ten knots. The mean annual precipitation is <br />15 inches. The growing season is approximately 156 days. Native soils are <br />derived from the sedimentary materials that comprise the foothill slopes. The <br />soils on the side slopes of the mine site are characteristically shallow, being <br />derived from parent sandstone and shale layers which outcrop in the area. The <br />soils are neutral to slightly alkaline, clay to clay-loam in texture. and have low <br />concentrations of salts and organic water. Sail mapping indicates soils of the <br />Midnight-Rombo and Louviers-Rombo-Travessilla variety. Soils near the <br />ephemeral drainage and at the mouth of the drainage are deeper and have a <br />finer texture. These soils are of the Fort Collins and Limon- Gaynor mapping <br />units. Textures of these soils range from loam to silty clay loam with a neutral to <br />slightly alkaline pH. <br />Two primary vegetatroe communities dominate the general area. At the mouth of <br />the ephemeral Starkville drainage (below 6400 feet) and to the west of the <br />immediate mine area, agrass/low shrub community is dominant. Warm season <br />grasses and low shrubs are the major life forms found in this area On the north <br />and south-facing sides of the drainage at the mine. a shrub community <br />