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• CHAPTER IV: PROBABLE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED HIGHWAY PROJECT ON THE EXISTING <br />ENVIRONMENT <br />Existing Natural Features and Processes <br />Slope <br />The severity of sloping terrain is shown on these pages to indicate <br />the difficulty of construction on these slopes. It is fairly easy to con- <br />struct a highway on ground sloping from zero to ten percent. Roadway con- <br />struction is moderately difficult for slopes of l0Y to 40q and very difficult <br />for slopes that exceed 40Y. By reviewing the above maps, it can be seen that <br />highway construction will be fairly easy in Section I, moderately difficult <br />in Section II and quite difficult in Section III where the hi g!;way is located <br />further from the existing channel of the North Fork of the Gunnison. <br />• Geologic Hazards <br />Geologic and rock mechanic inspection indicates that the new highway <br />should be kept away from the steep south slope of the canyon from approximately <br />Mile 16.0 to the east of Somerset to about Mile 19.5. The steep south <br />slopes in this part of the canyon are quite susceptible to instability and <br />rock slides. <br />Topo-climate <br />One factor which is worthy of consideration is the shading of the highway <br />during the winter. To determine hazardous areas the noon sun in December was <br />selected as an average winter condition and the shadows cast by the south wall <br />of the canyon were plotted on the topo-climate maps. Of course, this is a <br />. very general approximation because, as the sun swings from east to west at a <br />