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3.2.5 Surface and Ground Water [Application, Section 2.04.5, paza 2, page 39-40] <br />Because of the low relief and deep, well-drained soils, there is virtually no surface nmoff. No <br />streams, springs or seeps exist in the azea. All water flows subsurface through aeolian deposits to <br />Ennis Draw, a topographic Swale (ephemeral drainage) located along the eastern boundary of the <br />permit azea. Ennis Draw appeazs to be a complex, braided, ancient steam bed that has been <br />covered by windblown sand, It discharges several miles to the north into Box Elder Creek. <br />Ground water moves laterally toward the northeast, and apparently discharges into the sands and <br />stream deposits in Ennis Draw. <br />At the time the mine was originally permitted, ground water in neither the coal nor overburden <br />was known to provide a water supply for any purpose in the vicinity of the mine. Since that time, <br />ground water is being drawn for industrial uses at the mine, and a number of other wells have <br />been drilled in the vicinity of the mine (review of State Engineer Records). However, no adverse <br />impact from the mine is expected, due to the geologic and hydrologic conditions of the site, <br />3.2.6. Climate [Permit, Section 2.04.8, pages 65 - 7l ] <br />The Keenesburg mine site is situated in an azea which has a "continental" type of climate, <br />characterized by low relative humidity, a lazge amount of sunshine, light rainfall, moderately <br />high winds, and large daily range in temperature. The average annual mean temperature is 48.4° <br />F. The annuai average precipitation ranges from 11.12 to 16.32 inches. Fort Lupton, which has <br />an average annual precipitation of 12.5 inches, provides the best estimate of precipitation at the <br />area (Findings, 1992). <br />3.2.7 Vegetation, Wildlife and Land Use [Sections 2.04.10, 2.04.11, and 2.05.3 of the <br />Application] <br />The undisturbed lands in the area of the Permit are moderately to well stabilized by a sandsage- <br />prairie sandreed plant association that is used primarily for grazing by cattle in summer months. <br />Wildlife is limited to small rodents, primarily fetd mice, and birds with an occasional spotting of <br />raptors such as hawks or eagles. Deer and pronghorn aze raze as aze most higher order <br />vertebrates. CEC updated the evaluation of Threatened and Endangered species and habitat in <br />October 2006. There aze no known threatened or endangered plant or animal species, nor <br />habitats for these species, in the area. <br />The post mining land use of the permit area is rangeland. The premising soil capability class is <br />VIe for irrigated and non-irrigated Valent soils. Osgood soils have capability classes of IVe for <br />irrigated crops and VIe for non-irrigated conditions. The premising land use classification of the <br />area was rangeland, a determination made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural <br />Resources (Soil) Conservation Service, as shown on page 37 of the renewal application, general <br />soil map of Weld County, Colorado. The land cannot support a vaziety of uses under existing <br />technologies and local resources. All attempts at dryland farming on the azea have been <br />abandoned, and the damage caused by those attempts will remain evident for many decades. <br />Permit Renewal OS Findings October 30, 2006 <br />Page 10 of 25 Pages <br />