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<br />from shallow aquifers, but degrades with depth and would not generally be suitable for domestic <br />use. <br />Lands in Las Animas County are classified and divided into zoning districts. There aze two <br />zoning districts within the Lorencito Canyon permit area; the Agricultural District and the Rural <br />Residential District. Underground and strip mines are a conditional use of the zoning district and <br />require a special use permit. <br />Population is sparse in the region, with the vast majority of residents living along the Purgatoire <br />River and Highway 12. Ranching is the main focus for many of the residents, although recently <br />an increase in summer residents has occurred due to development and sale of ranchettes in the <br />area. Big game hunting in the region, particularly trophy elk hunting, is also an important land <br />use and source of income [o many of the local ranchers and outfitters. <br />Permit Area <br />The Lorencito Canyon mine is situated on 17,862 acres of private land southeast of the town of <br />Weston, Colorado. The 7.5 minute series topographic map of the Little Pine Canyon Quadrangle <br />depicts the majority of the permit area. Elevations within the permit area range from 6600 feet <br />above mean sea level in the northeast part of the permit area to 7900 feet portions of the southern <br />permit area. Two main canyons run north-northeast through the permit area, Cow Canyon on the <br />west and Lorencito Canyon to the east. Mining activities will generally be focused around these <br />two canyons. <br />Land use of [he permit area is dominated by rangeland/wildlifehahitat. Nine[y-eight (98) <br />percent, or 17,561 acres, of the permit area is, by Coal Regulation definition, rangeland/wildlife <br />habitat. Industrial land use, generally in the form of gas production, occurs on 20 acres, and <br />cropland and irrigated cropland occupy 313 acres, mainly along the Purgatoire River alluvial <br />valley floor. <br />Steep slopes and rugged canyons generally describe the topography of the permit area. With the <br />exception of relatively, narrow, flat canyon floors of Lorencito and Cow Canyons, most of the <br />permit area is dissected by V-shaped side drainages to the main canyons. These drainages are <br />rimmed by steep, rocky outcrops and watersheds are divided by narrow, sharp ridges. <br />In addition to the [wo main drainages within [he permit azea, Lorencito and Cow Canyons, <br />numerous other drainages exist within the permit area. Chimney, Jeff, Puertecito, Little Pine, <br />Bonita, Alamosa, and Little Alamosa all drain areas within the permit boundary. Only Lorencito <br />demonstrated perennial flows during the baseline collection period. Minimum flows at all other <br />sites were recorded as zero at least once during the baseline period. <br />Large flows occur down ephemeral drainages in response to intense precipitation events, <br />typically during the months of July, August, and September. A flow of 240 cubic feet per second <br />was recorded at the mouth of Little Pine Canyon. Snowmelt contributes only a small percentage <br />of total runoff, as infiltration and sublimation likely account for most of available Snowmelt <br />waters. <br />11 <br />