PERMFILE114435

• Permit No: C1981013
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 12/11/2001
• Section_Exhibit Name: EXHIBIT 30 SANTISTEVAN AVF STUDY
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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the flow is consumed into the deeperhvider
colluvial material and surface flow disappears. A
piezomcter (SCAW-5, Figure 1) was placed
belowthis step and exhibits approximately one foot
of water above the bedrock layer (Table 1). This
water is also observed at station SCAW-4 where
a similar sandstone step is located. Little or no
water was observed above or below these two
stations in the study area. All water level
readings from piezometers are presented in
Table 1.
Surface Water
Santistevan Canyon lies in the northwest
corner of the Golden Fagle Permit area and flows
south to the Purgatoire River. Tt is located just
downstream (1 mile) of the wnfluence of the
North Fork of the Purgatoire River and just 1000
feet upstream of the confluence of Apache
Canyon. It is a dendritic type drainage with a
watershed of 2181 acres.
Surface water monitoring began on April 19,
1984 and continued through August 26, 1985.
Like Apache, Ciruela and other side canyons of
the Purgatoire River, surface flow is mainly
associated with storm events, at times creating
flash flood conditions. During dry periods,
surface flow is discontinuous along the length of
the canyon. There are three intermittent springs
which were monitored collectively at the flume in
the canyon. Flows originate from fractured
sandstones and shales outcrops. During the initial
monitoring period, flows at the flume ranged
between less than 1 and 50 gpm. Conductivity, a
measure of total dissolved solids and hence a
quality indicator, was between 493 and 563.
Values for pH were between 7.3 and 8.4. All
water quality data collected in the canyon is
presented in Appendix 2. Spring water is used
for livestock and wildlife watering and it also has
an aesthetic value as it runs through the ranchette
development in the canyon. Additional field
observations taken during January, February and
March, 1989 indicated that the canyon had no
surface Dow and was dry. Comparing the
monitoring period of 1984/1985 udth the first hat(
of 1959 indicates that 1989 has been a period of
lesser precipitation resulting in the no Dow
measurements taken at the flume site. In
addition, during the 1984/1985 period more
activity was noted at the houses and lodge (with
swimming pool) which may have provided an
additional supply of water to the drainage. All
water Dow data is presented in Appendix 2.
Soils
At each drill hole site a 72 inch pit was dug
with a backhce in order to gather soils data. Soil
profile data included soil type, texture, moisture,
rooting depth, and staining information. All soils
profile data is presented in Appendix 3.
Generally, the soil of the canyon is a loam with
varying fractions of silts and sands. Only one pit
(Pit No. 4) exhibited coarse gravely material
which is generally associated with alluvial deposits.
All of the other pits exhibited an A and C
horizon which was uniform throughout the pit.
As all of the pits and drill holes were dug on the
edge of the terraces, indication of water bearing
zones should have been encountered if present.
In addition, there was no evidence of
subirrigation, which is the delivery of water
upward from below the surface, far plant
consumption. Primary rooting depths were 0 to
40 inches and no evidence of soil staining and/or
mottling was apparent. The pits were backfllled
and reseeded following data collection.
Vegetation Data
Vegetation communities were identified in the
lower portion of the Canyon which could
potentially be affected by secondary or retreat
mining. Generally, the vegetation community is
a pine/grassland. The slopes are wvered by
ponderosa and pinon pine while the small terraces
in the canyon bottom are covered with blue
gramma and other native grasses and fortis. In
terms of wetland vegetation, a small area of less
than one-fourth acre exists in the area of the
identified spring and station SCAW-4 (Figure 1)
which contains sedges and rushes which can be
associated with a wetland situation. A small area
of willows also exist along the irrigation ditch
which crosses the lower canyon.
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