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VIII.Protection of Fish, Wildlife and Related Environmental Values <br />1. Fish and wildlife habitat is a planned post-mining land use. The <br />applicant has selected appropriate plant species and distributions <br />to benefit fish and wildlife. [4.18(4)(1)]. <br />IX. Operations on Alluvial Valley Floors <br />1. The Division has determined that there are no alluvial vallev <br />floors along Tuttle or Calamity Draws by definition. <br />Geomorphically, these draws are located in uplands several miles <br />northeast of the San Miguel river. The uplands are overlain by <br />less than ten feet of unconsolidated material, which has been <br />classified as aeolian and sheet wash material. (The depths of <br />unconsolidated material are documented in Appendix 6-1.) These <br />draws would only have intermittent flow if it ire not for <br />irrigation return flows and the areas are not naturally <br />subirrigated. <br />These areas are flood-irrigated by waters acquired from a headgate <br />on the San Miguel River, located approximately fifteen miles <br />upstream. San Miguel River water quality (TDS of 180 mg/1) is far <br />better than that found in either Tuttle (TDS of 1200 mg/1) or <br />Calamity Draws (TDS of 1950 mg/1 ). Water from Tuttle or Calamity <br />Draws could not be used for agriculture without very controlled <br />management. <br />The San Miguel River could support several potential alluvial <br />valley floors. However, since the mine areas are two-and-a-half to <br />three miles upstream, the distance separating the mine from the <br />river is sufficient to mitigate any impacts. Insaddition, the <br />amount of flow contributed by Tuttle Draw and Calamity Draw to the <br />San Miguel River is very small (0.4% of annual meanflow at <br />Uravan). Therefore, the San Miguel River AVFs are considered to be <br />located outside of the potentially affected area. <br />X. Operations on Prime Farmland <br />1. Comparisons to determine revegetation success shall be based on <br />crop production standards which the Division proposes to approve. <br />[4.25.2(3)]. The production standard will be based on 3 years of <br />production data from well managed hayland directly west of the <br />proposed permit area. First year results (1987) indicate that <br />about 6.0 tons per acre per year can be expected as a production <br />success standard. <br />2. The Division proposes to approve the planting of a perennial crop <br />to be used as hay on prime farmlands. This has been shown to be a <br />common long-term use of Drime farmlands in the surrounding area. <br />[4.25.5(2)]. <br />-38- <br />