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• -~ <br />assessment by the Division was forwazded to USFWS on February 25, 19!13 as <br />requested. <br />Fourteen measures for protecting fish and wildlife resources aze incorporated into <br />the permit beginning on page 2, Tab 21 of the permit application. These measures <br />include 1) limiting additional disturbance to soils and vegetation, 2) prevention of <br />the discharge of hazardous substances, 3) installing raptor protection on new <br />transmission facilities, 4) adoption of a no firearms policy 5) compensation to the <br />USFWS for depletion of waters to the Yampa River and 6) prompt reporting to the <br />Division of any discovery of critical habitat or species of concern. <br />XIII. PROTECTION OF UNDERGROUND MINING <br />There is no current or historic underground mining within the permit area. <br />XIV. OPFR_ATIONS ON AI LLMAL VALLEY FLOORS <br />Information regazding alluvial valley floors may be found in Tab 14 of the permit <br />application. <br />1. The status of Dry Creek as an alluvial valley floor is unclear. Evidence of <br />vegetation and surface water quality at the loadout seems to suggest that the <br />alluvial valley floor and surface water within the permit area is unsuitable for <br />flood irrigation or subirrigation of hay or other field crops. However,. based <br />upon information included in the permit application (including mapping of <br />alluvial deposits, agricultural fields located below the rail loop which may be <br />subirrigated, and alluvial waters from Dry Creek appazently being used to <br />irrigate hay fields downstream) and previous findings by the Division for the <br />Seneca II-W Mine concerning Dry Creek; those portions of Dry Creek <br />mapped as alluvial deposits will continue to be designated as part of the Dry <br />Creek alluvial valley floor. <br />The loadout has existed on the Dry Creek valley floor since early 1978 and <br />was previously permitted by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division. <br />The azea of the valley floor affected by the disturbance comprises <br />approximately 4% of the area of unconsolidated alluvial deposits in the valley. <br />None of the disturbance impinges upon the area of irrigated agriculture <br />indicated by the applicant. No further disturbance is planned for this <br />operation. Because of the small area involved and because the disturbance is <br />contained with a sediment control system, there will be no significant effect of <br />the operation on the integrity of surrounding agricultural activity. <br />Impacts on surface water quality due disturbances at the loadout will be <br />minimal due to the size of the permit area with respect to the surface area <br />ze <br />