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The Qarx soil is found in the southeast corner of the proposed Nucla East permit area. It is classified as a fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Ustollic Haplargid. It is a deep, well drained sandy loam formed in sandstone derived alluvium. Part of this soil unit (about 15 acres) has been historically used for hay production and is irrigated with a dependable water supply and so has been rated as prime farmland by the USDA - Soil Conservation Service. Special methods of soil handling for this prime farmland are discussed under "Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan" below. Re vegetation success standards and reclamation plant materials are discussed in Section B, Part X - Operations on Prime Farmlands. The ephemeral drainages of the Nucla East area contain three families of Haplaquoll soils; Lithic, Lithic/Typic, and Typic Haplaquolls. The loamy, mixed, mesic, Lithic Haplaquolls are found in the upper reaches of the swales in the area and are the shallowest of the three series (bedrrock at 11 inches). Lithic/Typic Haplaquolls (coarse-loamy, mixed, mesic, moderately deep Typic Haplaquolls) are found in the mid to lower reaches of the swales and exhibit good quality soil to a depth of about 24 inches. The fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, deep Typic Haplaquolls are found in the lower reaches of the swales and along Calamity Draw. These soils have sandy loam and loam textures to a depth of about 4 feet with sandy clay loam below that. The soils were classified as Haplaquolls because of soil wetness. However, this diagnostic factor is artificially induced because of irrigation water, The soils were formed in the alluvium of the swales. Fair to good quality topsoil exists in the Swale areas in thicknesses from 1.2 to over 4 feet. Vegetation, Wildlife and Land Use Five vegetation communities are found in the present Nucla Mime permit area: annual grains and hay (agricultural), grassland, upland sagebrush, juniper, and riparian. Agricultural and grassland communities predominate. The grassland community is an abandoned hayfield. The upland sagebrush community dominates on lands not disturbed by agricultural practices. The juniper community covers 1.8 acres. This type is actually an agricultural sub-type as the herbaceous understory is alfalfa hay meadow. Utah juniper trees are well scattered. The riparian community covers 1.9 acres and occurs along drainages. Six general vegetation types are found on the proposed Nucla East area: irrigated pasture, irrigated hayland, irrigated cropland (small grains), Swale/drainage, sagebrush/grass, and various miscellaneous types related to old farmsteads, abandoned orchards, and disturbed areas. The Nucla East area is more intensively used for agricultural purposes than the Nucla Mine area was. Irrigated agricultural land (pasture, hayland, and cropland) comprises 130.9 acres or 59.5 percent of the total proposed 219.9 acre permit area addition (refer to Exhibit 10-2 and Tab 10-Table 4 of the application). The Swale/drainage vegetation type accounts for 56.3 acres or 25.6 percent of the total proposed permit area addition while the upland area sagebrush/grass type covers 24.1 acres or 11.0 percent. Miscellaneous types account for the remainder of the land area (8.6 acres or 3.9 percent). The Nucla Mine permit area and surrounding area is used by a large variety of wildlife including coyotes, fox, mule deer, elk (in the winter) and numerous bird species. -13-