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Portions of the Apache Canyon, Pete Canyon, and Ciruela Canyon drainages are found within <br />the permit area. These basins contain intermittent and ephemeral streams that flow <br />predominately in response to runoff from snowmelt during the spring and intense rainfall <br />during the summer. A portion of the flow in intermittent drainages is sustained by groundwater <br />discharges. Pete Canyon is tributary to the North Fork, while Apache and Ciruela Canyons <br />are tributary to the main stem of the Purgatoire River. <br />The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate. The prevailing wind is from the southwest <br />and average annual precipitation is 16.92 inches. The length of the growing season in the <br />area varies from 90 to 110 days. <br />Vegetative communities in the area of the mine can be separated into two physiognomic <br />types; the low grassland and riparian communities along the Purgatoire River valley bottom, <br />and forest communities dominating the slopes and upland areas along the river valley. <br />Communities on the north-facing slope and the river valley were inventoried and found to <br />contain four distinct vegetative communities at the New Elk Mine area; a Ponderosa Pine- <br />Douglas fir-oak community, a Ponderosa pine-oak community, a grassland community, and a <br />riparian willow carr community. The Ponderosa pine-Douglas fir-oak community is found on <br />the north-facing slope above the mine facilities at elevations above 7,600 feet. The overstory <br />consists of mature Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir with interspersed pinion pine and Rocky <br />Mountain juniper. The dominant shrub species is Gambel's oak. Cover is relatively sparse <br />(12 percent) and productivity is low (62 Ib./ac). The Ponderosa pine-oak community occurs on <br />the north facing slopes above 7,500 feet on the eastern two-thirds of the permit area. Pure <br />Ponderosa pine stands are interspersed with Gambel's oak, pinon pine, and Rocky Mountain <br />juniper. Vegetative cover is low (4 percent), as is productivity (44 Ib./ac). The grassland <br />community was inventoried at the adjacent Golden Eagle Mine on a plateau above the river at <br />7,200 feet elevation, since no undisturbed grassland communities could be found at the New <br />Elk Mine. Dominant grass species were blue grams and western wheatgrass, with many other <br />minor graminoids including a number of (orbs. Sage and snakeweed were the dominant <br />shrubs. Vegetative cover can be characterized as moderate (18 percent), as is productivity <br />(560 Ib./ac). The willow carr riparian community is located in the Purgatoire River drainage at <br />an elevation of 7,400 feet at the New Elk Mine. The dominant species was willow with a <br />diverse graminoid and forb understory. Vegetative cover is high (43 percent), as is productivity <br />(2,140 Ib./ac). <br />Soils in the area range from very shallow on the steep side slopes to deep, well-drained loams <br />with adark-colored surface layer found in the valley bottom along the Purgatoire River. <br />Of the 3,585 acres originally permitted at the New Elk Mine, 155 acres were already disturbed <br />for working areas and facilities. Permit Revision #1 added 120 acres to the permit area, of <br />which 36 acres were affected by new, proposed surface facilities. The resulting permit area <br />encompassed 3,705 acres with 191 acres of surface disturbance. No disturbed acreage has <br />been released from bond as of February 1999. However, a large area south of Highway 12 <br />