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water has been reported to be high in salinity, rendering it unsuitable for irrigation use. NKC <br />documented the baseline quality of the ditch water by sampling the ditch twice per yeaz for two <br />irrigation seasons ending in 1998, and for 12 months in 2005. The 2005 samples found total <br />dissolved solids of less than 200 mg/1 for most of the yeaz. <br />An ephemeral stream channel may have existed in the bench azea of the King I Mine prior to <br />disturbance of the site in 1941. This pre-mining channel would have been located in the lower <br />portion of the mine. Runoff from larger events would occur as channel flow, while smaller events <br />would primazily recharge the alluvium from side-slope azeas. For this reason, apost-mining channel <br />will be reconstructed in the current location of the facilities area. A review of the channel design <br />indicates it meets the requirements of Rule 4.05.3. Channels disturbed at the King II Mine will also <br />be regraded to approximate original contour to meet the requirements of Rule 4.05.3. <br />Information on surface water hydrology can be found in the permit application in Sections 2.04.7, <br />2.05.3 and 2.05.6 and on Maps King I-007a, King I-008, and King II - 007. <br />Climate <br />The climate is semi-arid, characterized by hot summers, cold winters, and a limited amount of <br />precipitation each year. The prevailing winds are from the southwest and west with an average <br />annual precipitation rate varying form 15-19 inches. The growing season in the area varies <br />depending on elevation and exposure with a maximum of 96 frost-free days. <br />Soils <br />Soil properties in the permit area vary widely depending on slope, aspect, and topographic position. <br />Deeper soils are found in the valley bottoms and on the tops of plateaus, while shallow soils <br />associated with rock outcrops dominate the side slopes. Two soil orders (Entisolls and Aridisols) <br />and one rock outcrop complex occur on the site. Both of the soil orders have an ustic moisture <br />regime. There is no soil in the surface facilities area of the King I Mine as a result ofthis area having <br />been disturbed prior to any regulatory requirement to salvage topsoil. An area in the upper reaches <br />of the east drainage azea of the King I Mine has been identified as a "topsoil" borrow area with <br />approximately 17,000 cubic yards of material available for reclamation activities. The results of soil <br />analyses aze provided in Appendix 6 of the permit application. <br />Vegetation <br />The dominant vegetation in the King I and II Mine area is a mountain shrub community. Gambel's <br />Oak is the most prominent shrub along the side slopes, forming dense stands. On the plateau top <br />above the King I and II Mines, the oak grows in clumps with open stands of grasses interspersed. A <br />juniper pinon community is found on the more xeric southern slopes with scattered individuals of <br />Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine encountered on more mesic northern slopes. A pinyon juniper <br />woodland community predominates in the King II Mine azea, extending from the edge of the flat <br />colluvial bottoms up the side slopes of the dissected drainage basins. A rabbitbrush/big sage mixed <br />