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Federal lands with National Resource Waters, as identified by states in their water quality
<br />management plans, and a buffer zone of federal lands k-mile from the outer edge of the far
<br />banks of the water, shall be unsuitable.
<br />• Analvsis
<br />None of the lands in the proposed lease tract are identified as a National Resource Water.
<br />Criterion 19
<br />Federal lands identified by the surface management agency, in consultation with the state in
<br />which they are located, as alluvial valley floors according to the definition in Subpart 3400.0-
<br />51a) of this title, the standards of 30 CFR Part 822, the final alluvial floor guidelines of the
<br />Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement when published, and approved state
<br />programs under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, where mining would
<br />interrupt, discontinue, or preclude farming, shall be considered unsuitable. Additionally, when
<br />mining federal land outside an alluvial valley floor would materially damage the quantity or
<br />quality of water in surface or underground water systems that would supply alluvial valley
<br />floors, the land shall be considered unsuitable.
<br />Analvsis
<br />A potential Alluvial Valley Floor IAVF) on the proposed lease tract is the Quaternary Alluvium
<br />associated with the North Fork of the Gunnison River. This area has already been found to be
<br />unsuitable for coal extraction under Criteria Number 16 - "Federal Lands in Special Floodplains".
<br />However, a concern remains that mining associated activities on other parts of the proposed
<br />' lease could materially damage the quantity and/or quality of water that supplies this AVF, due to
<br />the potential hydraulic connection between the AVF and Mesaverde Formation. Due to
<br />insuifiicient data, a determination can not be made until a mine plan for the area has been
<br />• submitted. At that time, the Regulatory Official will make a finding concerning possible material
<br />damage to the alluvial valley floor. As a result of the finding, some restrictions to the mining
<br />operations may be necessary.
<br />Criterion 20
<br />Federal lands in a state to which is applicable a criterion {i1 proposed by the state or Indian tribe
<br />located in the planning area, and (ii) adopted by rulemaking by the Secretary, shall be considered
<br />unsuitable.
<br />Analvsis
<br />This criterion is not presently in effect in the State of Colorado.
<br />SUMMARY
<br />The Box Canyon Tract was determined to be suitable for coal mining following the application of
<br />Unsuitability Criteria Numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 17, 18, and 20.
<br />Atter the application of Criterion Number 16, the 100-year floodplain of the North Fork of the
<br />Gunnison River lapproximately 16 acres) is unsuitable far coal mining.
<br />Criterion Numbers 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 19 were found to be unsuitable for mining,
<br />however, aher applying the exceptions to the criterion, ;hey were suitable for mining with the
<br />following restrictions:
<br />• criterion 1: The lands within Sections 14, 22, 23, and 26, T.13S., R.90W., fith PM were
<br />Appendix I, Page 10
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