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<br />Basin is a broad, asymmetric syncline, the axis of which trends generally north-south. <br />All mining activities occur in the Raton Formation where the Maxwell seam is located. <br />The Poison Canyon formation unconformably overlies the Raton Formation and has a <br />thickness of approximately 200 feet in the mine area. Unconsolidated Quaternary <br />alluvial and colluvial deposits overlie the Raton Formation in the low-lying areas. <br />The Raton Formation dips approximately two degrees east-northeast. The permit area <br />contains one steep, normal fault trending east-northeast with vertical displacement of <br />25 feet. <br />The rock strata in the region can contain groundwater, but are not a significant source <br />of water in the area of the mine. Typically bedrock groundwater is perched and usable <br />sources are unreliable for most uses. Igneous intrusions can cause impermeable <br />boundaries that act as barriers to groundwater migration. The Purgatoire River is the <br />main surface water drainage in the region. Its headwaters originate west of the mine in <br />the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Eventually, the Purgatoire flows into the <br />Arkansas River near Las Animas, Colorado, and approximately 120 miles northeast of <br />the mine. The Purgatoire River and its alluvial aquifer are a significant source of water <br />in the mine area. Portions of Apache Canyon, Santistevan Canyon, Wet Canyon, and <br />Ciruela Canyon are found within the Golden Eagle permit area. With the exception of <br />Wet Canyon, which is perennial, these drainages are intermittent. <br />The climate of the region is characterized as semi-arid. The prevailing winds come <br />from the southwest and the mean annual precipitation is 16.9 inches. The length of the <br />growing season ranges from 90-110 days in the region. <br />Vegetation communities are diverse, ranging from low grassland communities in the <br />valleys to pinyon/juniper/oak brush and coniferous forest in the higher elevations. Soils <br />in the area can be shallow or non-existent on the steep, south facing slopes, but are <br />well-drained loams in the valleys bottom along the Purgatoire River. <br />5 <br />