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<br />• -3- <br />Land Use <br />In the area surrounding the operation, the predominent land use is rangeland <br />and wildlife habitat and has been since the general area was settled. The <br />canyon which the operation occupies is characterized by steep slopes and <br />fairly sparse vegetation that is typical of Western Colorado. Rangeland is <br />restricted to the valley bottoms having shallow slopes and sufficient <br />vegetation. The land will be returned to rangeland and wildlife habitat after <br />cessation of mining and successful reclamation. <br />Cultural Resources <br />Two sites were identified by the applicant during the cultural resources <br />survey. The site, a pictograph, is considered to be eligible for listing on <br />the National Register of Historic Places. The homestead is not considered to <br />be eligible. The homestead is adjacent to the haulroad for the mine, and the <br />pictograph is farther from the road on the canyon wall. <br />Surface Water <br />SCMC has supplied data indicating characteristics of water quantity and <br />quality for East Salt Creek in the vicinity of Munger Canyon. Total dissolved <br />solids in East Salt Creek have been noted aver a range of 600 mg/1 to 10,000 <br />mg/1. The accepted standards for irrigation water and livestock uses are <br />• respectively 1500 mg/1 and 5000 mg/1 (Colorado Mined Land Reclamation <br />Standards, August 26, 1481). Water is typically a sodium-sulfate type. <br />In Munger Creek, like most semi-arid ephemeral drainages, dissolved <br />constituents in surface water often reach high levels during storm runoff. <br />Dissolved solids measured in Munger Canyon ranged from 92 mg/1 in December to <br />956 mg/1 in April. <br />Ground 'dater <br />Drilling in the vicinity indicates the presence of a saturated zone within *.he <br />Cameo Seam. This saturated zone occurs outside of the permit area within the <br />adjacent McClave Canyon Mine plan area and will not be encountered by <br />projected mining within the Munger Canyon Mine. <br />The zone of saturation in the Cameo Seam is recharged at the point where the <br />Cameo Seam subcrops below the Salt Creek alluvium approximately 3 miles <br />upstream of the mine. Very little recharge of coal seams and sandstones occur <br />along outcrops due to the very low precipitation rate (8.3 inches) and the <br />steep slopes which favor runoff over infiltration. <br />u <br />