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Land Use Land use information is found in Tab 4 and in Exhibit 4-1 of the permit application. Regional land use patterus are shown in Figure 1, Tab 4 ofthe permit application. Specific findings regazding land use are described in Section B, Item XI of this document. Land use in the permit area and surrounding area is primarily agricultural, rangeland, industrial (a regional airport and Routt County maintenance facility), and wildlife habitat. Land is farmed along the northern mazgin of the railroad spur and south of the loadout facility, with winter wheat being the principal crop. Cattle aze also grazed in the area. Most of the disturbance associated with the construction of the loadout occurred in areas historically utilized for crop production but which were taken out of production and seeded with introduced grasses prior to construction of the loadout. Historically, grazing pressure has been heavy in the Dry Creek drainage and adjacent alkaline shrublands. Part of the permit azea is lightly grazed. A variety of wildlife species use the azea's rangeland and seeded cropland areas. Use by some species may decrease while the loadout and railroad spur are in operation. The Yampa Valley Airport is located one-quarter mile east of the permit area. No private dwellings are near the permit area. The loadout currently has a special use permit and is in compliance with the land use plans of both Routt County and the Town of Hayden. Postmining land use will consist of utilization for grazing and wildlife. GeoloQy More detailed geologic information, including geologic maps and a generalized geologic cross-section, can be found in Tab 6 of the permit application. The HG Loadout is located in the Dry Creek drainage approximately two miles north of the Williams Fork Mountains. The permit area is underlain by the Lewis shale, a predominantly dark-gray to bluish, marine shale of Cretaceous age. The Lewis shale dips a few degrees generally northward into the Sand Wash Basin. The shale beds have weathered out to form gently sloping hillsides on either side of the neazly level alluvial valley floors and terraces found along Dry Creek. Surface waters do not appeaz to be in hydrologic communication with the Twentymile Sandstone, a significant regional aquifer that underlies the Lewis shale. Ground water movement is described below and in Tabs 7, 14 and 15 of the permit application. Soils Soils in the Dry Creek area range from clays to loams. The soils are of limited agricultural use due to high concentrations of sodium and salt. Information on soils can be found in Tabs 9 and 19 of the permit application. Specific findings related to soils are described in Section B, Item N of this document.