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<br />Land Condition, Capability and Productivity. The present condition <br />of the mine plan area can be described as poor to fair for grassland <br />and woodland conditions. The combination of the abandoned surface <br />and underground mines within the area and overgrazing by previous <br />operators have led to this current condition. <br />The soil within the mine plan area as shown on t4ap Nos. 11 and 12 <br />is currently being utilized for both grassland and woodland purposes. <br />The agronomic usefulness of these soils is limited to both types of <br />usages. Productivity of the lands is expected and estimated to be <br />from 200 to 800 air-dried pounds of foliage per acre for the grasslands <br />and less than 3 cords of fuel wood on a one time basis for the <br />woodland areas. The primary reason for the limitation for agronomic <br />purposes in the mine area is the lack of water. <br />• Hydrologic Capability. As covered in detail within the hydrologic <br />section, 2.04.7 of this permit application the available surface <br />water supplies in the mine area and adjacent areas are limited, <br />both in quantity and quality. This determination has been made <br />based on the general information provided by the SOAP contractor <br />for baseline information within this area. See Exhibit 12. In <br />addition, available ground water is not evident in the existing <br />mine or within the permit area itself. No springs or other ground <br />water discharge points occur in the area which GEC Minerals, Inc. <br />plans to mine during the next five years. Surface water supp]ies <br />are limited by the ephemeral drainages which pass through the <br />proposed permit area. Because of the limited water supplies, the <br />land uses within the area must be restricted to either grassland or <br />woodland. <br />Capability of the Land to Support a Variety of Uses. Monetary and <br />physical constraints within the area in which the proposed permit <br />area is located severely limit the variety of land uses for which <br /> <br />2.04-3 <br />