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-6- <br />Cultural, historic, and archaeological studies have been conducted of the <br />permit area in April and May, 1977; August, 1980; August, 1981; July, 1982; <br />May and September, 1984 and July, 1986. No significant prehistoric or <br />historic cultural resources were encountered within the area. Three abandoned <br />coal mines were found but were not considered significant finds. A total of <br />15 archaeological or historic sites have been identified within the permit <br />area. Eight of the sites will not be affected by the operation because they <br />will not be undermined. Of the remaining seven, four were determined to be <br />ineligible for the National Register. The final three sites are not predicted <br />to be adversely affected by the operation. <br />During the summer of 1986 further archeological studies were conducted near <br />the proposed site of the Orchard Palley West portal area. Site 5DT271 was <br />tested and found not to be eligible to the National Register of Historic <br />places. The other site 5DT771 is located outside the impact area of the <br />proposed west portal site. The State Historic Preservation Officer has <br />determined that there will be no effect to significant cultural resources. <br />The vegetation on the areas affected by the Orchard Valley Mine's surface <br />operations and facilities is characterized by pinyon-juniper stands, mixed <br />mountain shrublands, oakbrush shrublands, and orchard land at the rail loadout <br />facility along the North Fork. The pinyon-juniper type is the most extensive <br />vegetation type occuring in the affected area, covering 49.4 of the 72.2 total <br />affected acres. The mixed mountain shrub type occurs along the west side of <br />Steven's Gulch, where 7.3 acres have been disturbed by the mine timber storage <br />area. The oakbrush vegetation type occurs primarily to the north of the <br />affected area. The Orchard Valley Mine's rail loadout facilities have <br />affected 16 acres of orchard land. Adjacent orchards produce a variety of <br />fruits, including peaches, apricots, prunes, cherries, pears, and apples. The <br />climate of the region is typical of the Rocky Mountain area. The valley in <br />which Paonia is situated is semi-arid with annual precipitation averaging <br />about 15 inches per year. Mean annual precipitation increases with elevation, <br />reaching approximately 35 inches per year on the summit of Chalk Mountain. <br />The May-September precipitation is 5 inches for the lowlands and 13 inches for <br />the mountain peaks. This indicates that snowfall patterns play a important <br />part in determining the hydrology of the area. <br />The area is mountainous, with elevations ranging from 5,800 feet at Paonia to <br />11,150 feet at Chalk Mountain to the North on the Grand Mesa. Slopes range <br />from 0 to 60 percent on the permit area, and elevations range from about 5,700 <br />feet at the loadout facilities area to approximately 8,700 feet at the <br />northern extremity of the permit area. <br />The CWI permit area is drained by East Roatcap Creek, West Roatcap Creek, Main <br />Roatcap Creek, Steven's Gulch, Coal Gulch, and Terror Creek; all of which are <br />tributaries to the North Fork of the Gunnison. <br />Terror Creek is a perennial stream with an aquatic community that includes <br />trout. The stream has a high gradient channel with riparian vegetation and <br />alluvium confined to narrow bands along the channel. <br />. ._... _~..~,_.. .._... ...m..~..J.+.~ _ ,.... , ~, ._.. r <br />