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DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT <br />The Canadian Strip Mine is in the North Pazk Basin in north central Colorado. North Park is a <br />high inter-montane basin bounded by the mountains of the Medicine Bow Range to the east and <br />the Rabbit Ears Range to the west and south. The mine is approximately 12 miles east of <br />Walden in Jackson County. The elevation of the mine is about 8400 feet. <br />Geology <br />The North Pazk region has been characterized as a broad synclinal basin in which there are many <br />local synclinaVanticlinal structures. Recent mining has taken place in the eastem portion of North <br />Park in an azea of tightly compressed anticlinal and synclinal geologic structures. <br />The coal seam mined by the Canadian Strip Mine is the Sudduth Coal. The seam varies from <br />10 to 23 feet thick at the site and is within the Tertiary Coalmont Formation. The mine is on <br />the eastern flank of a local anticline. The beds are steeply dipping at the location of the mine <br />and occur at an angle between 28 and 34 degrees. <br />Mining progressed south along the eastern flank of the McCallum Anticline towazd the nose of <br />this anticline. The applicant has provided both a general description of the regional geology and <br />a detailed analysis of the physical and chemical characteristics of strata disturbed at the site in <br />Section 2.04.7 and Appendix C of the original permit application. <br />Surface Water <br />The Canadian Strip Mine is in Norlh Park basin which forms a drainage basin. Most runoff from <br />the basin originates from snowmelt on the forested slopes of the surrounding mountains. The <br />North Platte River is the major river of the region. Two major tributaries of the North Platte <br />River aze within three miles of [he mine site; the Michigan and Canadian Rivers. All the mine <br />activities occur within the watershed of Bolton Draw, which is tributary to the Canadian River. <br />Bolton Draw is an ephemeral drainage that receives varying amounts of water from trans-basin <br />diversion of Michigan River water through Spear Ditch from May through July. Otherwise, <br />flows in Bolton Draw occur primarily from snowmelt runoff. <br />Information on surface water hydrology may be found in Appendix C, Volumes I and II of the <br />permit renewal application. <br />Canadian Strip Mine, C-81-026 7 December 5, 1996 <br />