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Third Park Federal Coal Exploration License Environmental Assessment <br />The San Juan/San Miguel Resource Management Plan included comments regarding soil erosion and <br />salinity in the area. Erosion has been a problem in nearby areas such as Broad Canyon and Dry Mud <br />Spring, Disappointment Valley, Paradox Valley, and Gypsum Valley. However, no major wind erosion <br />was found in Third Park or its immediate surrounding area. Saline areas are a result of marine evaporate <br />deposits or soils formed in these deposits; they aze the Mancos shale and Paradox formations, neither of <br />which occur in the subject area. Areas surrounding Third Park that were severely affected include <br />Disappointment Valley, Paradox Valley, Gypsum Valley, and Dry Creek Basin. While there is no <br />evidence of problems in the immediate area of Third Park, the known presence of soil erosion and salinity <br />in nearby locations causes concern over the curcent and future status of the area (BLM 1984). <br />Environmental Consequences/Mitigation: Drilling and overland access would have a direct <br />impact on soils through physical disturbance. The effects would be 1) physical removal, mixing, or <br />burying of surface soils; 2) damage or destruction of soil properties in place; 3) mixing of drilling wastes <br />into [he soil, and 4) localized losses or decreases in vegetation cover and plant litter. <br />At each drill location, the use of struck-mounted drill rig and other project-related vehicles may disturb <br />surface soils (approximately 0.1 acre). There would be no blading or site preparation of any drill locations <br />or access routes. Most of the disturbance to soils would occur on the Barx-Progresso complex, which <br />exhibits moderate to high surface runoff. <br />Drilling and overland access activities would indirectly cause an undetermined amount of water erosion, <br />with the loss of surface soils, which would reduce viability for plant regeneration. Upon the completion of <br />drilling activities, the drill hole would be plugged, and the area would be seeded with native plant species. <br />The drilling activities would be conducted in accordance with regulations administered by the BLM. <br />These regulations require detailed surface use plans that ensure that the soil resource is preserved. <br />However, even with implementation of these management practices, some soil loss may occur, and <br />disturbed soils may temporarily or permanently exhibit reduced productivity. <br />Under the No Action Alternative, there would be no effects to soils <br />Land Health Standard 1: Based on the limited disturbance and included site reclamation, the <br />Proposed Action would not change the existing conditions for upland soils in the Project Area. The <br />existing soils conditions generally meet the criteria established in the standard for upland soils. <br />Western Fuels CEL Ersriranmentol Assessment 20 <br />