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Bedrock ground water aquifers have been identified as, the Wolf Creek coal seam, the Wadge coal seam and the Wadge overburden including the discontinuous Lennox coal seam. All aquifers exhibit water table conditions near the outcrop, however, observation wells installed downdip indicate the aquifers are all under artesian conditions with increased pressure related to increased depth. Quality in all aquifers is poor and undesirable for use as either a drinking or irrigation supply. Ground water occurs in the alluvium associated with Hubberson Gulch within and adjacent to the permit boundary. Quality of this water prohibits its use for drinking and severely limits its use for irrigation. The mine permit boundary encompasses two surface watersheds. Most of the mine site and all the proposed disturbed areas will drain into Hubberson Gulch and an unnamed tributary to Dry Creek. The numerous small drainages are ephemeral in nature. Hubberson Gulch downstream of the mine site to its confluence with Dry Creek is intermittent. A small area on the eastern edge of the permit boundary drains to Sage Creek, an intermittant stream. As previously discussed, there will be no disturbed area drainage directed to Sage Creek. Both Sage Creek and Dry Creek confluence with the Yampa River near Hayden, Colorado. The average annual precipitation at the mine site is approximately 16 inches. The precipitation is consistent throughout the year with no significant dry periods. The mean annual temperature is 42oF. The average maximum and minimum temperatures are 66oF and 17oF respectively. Regionally, wind directions run east-west following the Yampa River Valley. More localized wind patterns trend along the side valleys. The current and historic land use of the area in which the proposed operation is located is grazing land for livestock and habitat for wildlife. Regional land use patterns are oriented in three relatively distinct bands. Irrigated cropland is closely associated with the floodplain of the Yampa River. To the south, non-irrigated crops are grown on the sloping upland surfaces. The area nearest the proposed mining operation is mostly hilly and mountainous terrain and used primarily as rangeland for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. NO cropland will be disturbed by actual mining. The soils found within and adjacent to the mine plan area are typical of soils found in the cold, semi-arid regions of the Western United States. The soils are generally moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to shallow (10 to 20 inches) and have developed in weathered, interbedded fine sandstone, siltstone, and shale, and in local slopewash and colluvium. Most of the soils are Borollic Vertic Camborthids, Lithic Cryoborolls, and Pachic Cryoborolls. -$-