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~, <br />findings are in order for the alluvial valley floor known as <br />Stollsteimer Creek AVF located in Section 30, T 34 N, R 4 W, <br />N.M.P.M. <br />1. The Division finds that activities proposed by the applicant <br />will nit interrupt, discontinue, or preclude farming on the <br />alluvial valley floors that are irrigated or naturally <br />subirrigated (4.24.3(1)) except for <br />a. small areas which may provide negligible support for the <br />farm's agricultural production (4.24.3(1)) and <br />b. undeveloped rangelands which are not significant to farming <br />(4.24.3(1) and 2.06.8(5)(a>(i)). <br />2. The Division finds that the proposed activities will not <br />materially damage the quantity or quality of water in the <br />surface or ground water system described above (4.24.3(3) and <br />2.06.8(5)(a)(ii)). <br />3. The proposed activities will comply with the requirements of <br />the Act and the Regulations with respect to alluvial valley <br />floors (2.06.8(5)(a)(iii)). <br />B. The valley formed adjacent to Stollsteimer Creek was determined to <br />be an AVF (Reports by Piteau and Associates, July 1983, <br />"Hydrogeology of the Barren Ridge Area," and September 15, 1983, <br />"Comprehensive Probable Hydrologic Consequences for the Barren <br />Ridge and Revision 1 Areas") based on the following applicable <br />criteria: <br />(1) The valley contains unconsolidated streamlaid deposits; <br />(2) The area has historically been flood irrigated; and <br />(3) The area is potentially subirrigated. <br />With regard to these alluvial valley floors, the Division made the <br />following findings: <br />Interruption, Discontinuation or Precluding of Farming <br />(2.06.8(5)(a)(i)(A>(I> <br />Mel Martinez, landowner, owns the adjacent AVF and surrounding <br />lands. He is presently engaged in agricultural practices on <br />450 acres of land. Of this 450 acres, 108 are irrigated _ <br />pasture (the adjacent AVF). The current mining operation has <br />removed 12.5 acres of the irrigated pasture from production, <br />which accounts for 11.5 percent of the areal extent of the <br />pasture land and 2 percent of the entire land area to be used <br />for agricultural practices. <br />Production figures for the pasture show that 1,000 air-dried <br />pounds/acre can be expected from the AVF area. Removal of <br />12.5 acres of land from production effectively reduces total <br />production in the AVF 11.5 percent. Total production from the <br />_17_ <br />