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-6- <br />'~ Extensive past mining disturbances characterize the general area of the <br />`- Dorchester No. 1 Mine. In 1860 the first coal mine was opened in the northern <br />portion of the Conan City Coal Field. Production areas spread through the <br />central area and into the southern portion of the coal field in the early <br />1900'5. Over 177 abandoned mines with 600 acres of existing associated <br />•surface disturbances have been identified by the Mined Land Reclamation <br />Division's Inactive Mine Program. The proposed Dorchester No. 1 permit area, <br />located in the southern portion of the Canon City Coa] Field, is shown on <br />Figure 3 along with the extent of previous mining within the adjacent area. <br />The collection of baseline environmental information which shows what the area <br />was like prior to any mining is, therefore, impossible. <br />The existing environment in the general area of the Dorchester No. 1 Mine is <br />one of an arid, steppe highland basin. The Canon City Coal Basin lies in the <br />transition zone between the foothills of the Wet Mountains and the eastern <br />Colorado plains, it ranges to elevation from 5,500 to 8,000 feet. The climate <br />is directly influenced by the topography, with heavier rainfall and cooler <br />temperatures in the mountains and less rain and warmer temperatures in the <br />basin. Erosion of .the mountains has resulted in a pediment surface within the <br />basin from 0 to 100 feet thick. The action of several ephemeral and same <br />perennial streams has cut through the pediment surface. exposing the <br />coal-bearing Yermejo Formation. This easily accessed coal has been <br />extensively mined since the turn of the century leaving many unreclaimed <br />spoils and waste piles. <br />• • Existing vegetation and soils are also influenced by the topography and <br />• surficial geology. Vegetation is predominately a grassland/woodland community <br />dominated by blue grams grass on the gently sloping mesas and ponderosa pine <br />on the hillslopes. Two riparian woodland communities were also found along <br />ephemeral drainages within the permit area. Topsoil available within the <br />permit area is a sandy loam derived from the pediment gravels. The A horizon <br />ranges from 6.5 to 16 inches in depth and the B horizon ranges from 1 inches <br />to over 6 feet in depth. Prior to any mining in the area, wildlife habitat <br />and grazing were the land uses. <br />Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan <br />Dorchester Coal Company proposes to mine approximately 800,000 tons of coal <br />per year frao the Dorchester No. 1 Mine using a conventional roan and pi liar <br />system. The proposed permit area is approximately 1,400 acres in size. The <br />legal description of the total proposed permit area is as follows: <br />SW1/4. and an irregular 6.9 acre parcel located in the SW1/4SE1/4, Section 19. <br />T20S, R69W, 6th A.H., <br />NEI/4NW1/4, W1/2Wi/2, and an irregular 6.7 acre parcel located in the <br />NWl/4NE1/4, Section 30, T20S, R69W, 6th P.M., <br />NW1/4, NE1/4, SE1/4. NW1/4SW1/4, NE1/45W1/4, SE1/4SW1/4 and an irregular 16 <br />acre parcel located in the SW1/4SW1/4, Section 25, <br />- NE1/4, N1/2SE1/4, and an irregular 71 acre parcel located in the El/2W 1/2 and <br />in the N1/2SW1/4SE1/4 and 1n the Nl/2SE1/4SE1/4, Section 26, <br />