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deer, and turkey arc Gcyucnt visitors to the reclaimed arcs <br />Che Ralun Creek \line is located in the eastern lu»b of the fnnidad-Raton Basin svnchnc. l he <br />cord seam to be mined 1 Lu+ccr Slarkvillc scam) ~xcurs in the Vemtejo Porntation and Dips to the <br />west three to that degrees. Sunte nunor laults have been noted in old undergn,und +corkines. <br />'I he Slarkvillc uam outcrops in the none area slightly atxwe the Starkvil]e drainage. The Raton <br />Fonnatiun lies stnuigraphically above the Verntejo Furnuttion, and includes xunte coal scam, of <br />nunur imiwrtance. Stratigraphicalh bclu+c the Vcmtejo Formation is the Trinidad sandstone, nn <br />aquifer of regional signitiaurce. <br />The main mine facility is hx;rtcd m the tinrrk+illc drainage. This drantagc flows only ut reslx~nsc <br />to rawfall or snowntclt. Starkville (iul~h drams into Ra0.,u ('reek, which is tributary to the <br />Purgah~ire Kncr. <br />The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate. Prevailing winds arc from the southwest at an <br />accragc speed of ten knots. The mean annual precipitation is 15 inches. 'fhc growing season is <br />approsintatcly 1 i6 days. <br />Nsuive soils arc derived from the sedinten4try materials that comprise the tix,thill Dupes. l he <br />soils un the stdc slope. of the mine sett arc ch;uacteristically shallow, being derived tiom parent <br />sandstone and shale laycn which uutcmp in the area. The soils arc ncuu;tl to ,lightly alkaline, <br />clay to clay•loam in texture, and have low amccntrations of salts and organic +vater. Soil <br />mapping indicates sails of the Midnight-Rambo anJ Louvicrs-Rumho-"I'ruvcssilla variety. Soils <br />near the ephcmcral drainage and at the mouth of the drainage arc deeper and have a finer texture. <br />These soils arc ol'thc Fort (bllins and Limon- Gaynor mapping units. 1'cxtures oCthrsr soils <br />range from loam to silty clay loam with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. <br />Twu printery vegetative communities dominate the area that has been disturbed by mine-related <br />aetivitics. At the mouth of the ephcmcral St:trkvillc dninagc (t,clo+v 6J0o leer) and to the west <br />of the immediate mine area, a grassrlow shrub community is dominant. Warne season grtsscs <br />and law shnibs arc the major lilt loons found in this area. On the north and south-facing sales of <br />the drainage :u the mine. ^ shnrh runununity characterized by pinyon pine, juniper, and G;rmbel's <br />oak is Pound. lhiminance of individual species is vanablc and detemtined by nhiutic (slope, <br />aspect I. and biotic (grazing pressure, slxcics tolerance) 1'acturs. Nu characteristic vegetative <br />community exists in the vicinity of the ephemeral Starkville drainage. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />During operations cool waa mined from five tx,rtals in the Lower Starkville scum using the room <br />and pillar method. &rih convrntiunul and continuous equipment was used. Coal was <br />transixtrted to the surface on a 36-inch belt conveyor. Coal was stuckrilyd :utd a nnsported to the <br />preparation plant or to customers directly. Kefuse from the prep plant was pennancntly <br />drpwited in the refuse pile hauled in the northwest punion of the disturbed area. <br />