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-8- Ground water in the vicinity of the permit area is found in becrock strata and in unconsolidated alluvial deposits. The bedrock strata do not contain sufficient amounts of water to be considered aquifers, although springs and seeps may be observed in the coal seams and sandstone units. These result from infiltration in response to precipitation and/or snowmelt. The alluvial formation contains sufficient amounts of water to be considered an aquifer. The alluvial aquifer is recharged from occasional surface flow and discharge from bedrock strata. Ground water flows to the east and probably discharges to downstream surface waters. The permit area contains several unnamed small ephemeral drainages and the Del Agua Canyon. The drainages are tributary to the Arkansas River. A11 are ephemeral in nature within the permit area and flow only in response to snowmelt or precipitation events. The vicinity of the mine is characterized by a semi-arid steppe climatic regime, The prevailing winds are from the west and average annual precipitation is approximately 13 inches. The growing season averages Z56 days. Snows may be expected between September and June. Soils range from deep sandy loams in drainage bottoms and Foot slopes to rocky outcrops along ridges. Soil variability is due to slope, aspect, topographic position, and parent material. AZZ soils are suitable for reclamation. Vegetation in the area is characteristic of the transition foothills zone between prairie and mountains. The area contains a large pinyon-juniper community on the south-facing slopes. Inclusions of rrountain brush and ponderosa pine occur on the mesic north-facing slopes and along drainageways. Open toeslopes and meadows along the IhZ Agua drainage are dominated by grass and weedy annual species as these areas tend to receive high grazing pressure from cattle in the area. Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan Of the II25 acres to be permitted by Trinidad Basin Mining, Inc., 250 acres will be disturbed by the operation. Approximately 100 acres of this disturbance has already occurred. Coal will be removed at a maximum rate of 240,000 tons per year. The total production of coal for the Zife of the mine is estimated at 1,200,000 tons. The ;projected Zife of the mine is five years. The coal will be removed using a contour strip mining method allowing for single seam removal in each pit. When exposed coal has been removed in each pit, coal in the highwall will be au9ered to a maximum depth of 250 feet. One pit will be mined at a time. Pits in Sections 15 and 22 will be mined from east to west in the Ik?1 Agua and Cass seams. In advance of the operation, vegetat_'on will be cleared and topsoil will be salvaged. A topsoil buffer zone is established above and below all active cuts within each pit. Topsoil is stockpiled from the initial cut only. Succeeding cuts are removed in advance of the highwall and immediately spread on areas which are already back filled and graded. Topsoil stockpiles are seeded for protection and stabilization.