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<br />Coal Canyon Road: Coal Canyon Road is an unimproved trackway running <br />in a northwesterly direction from the Cameo Power Plant as it <br />transects Section 28 of Township 10 South, Range 98 West, Mesa County, <br />and then runs in a southwesterly direction, transecting Section 29, <br />32, and 31. Only those portions of the road lying in Sections 27 and <br />28 lie within the impact area. The road passes through the wide <br />bottom of Coal Canyon across hard bare alluvial soil. There is scant <br />vegetation. Scattered boulders lie along various parts of the <br />southwest side of the road beyond Coal Gulch turn-off. The area on <br />the northeast side of road is consists of gently rising barren ground <br />marked with outcroppings of shallow layers of sandstone. <br />Coal Gulch: Coal Gulch is a drainage area fanning out in a <br />northeastly direction from Mount Lincoln. The gulch is approximately <br />one half mile wide at its mouth, which is at the 5,200 foot elevation, <br />and dwindles to a narrow ravine as it rises to the 6,200 foot <br />elevation over a distance of one mile. The mouth of the gulch is <br />marked by small boulders with southern aspect ~°'~~, otherwise <br />the gulch consists of a deeply eroded rocky water course averaging <br />about fifteen feet in width, lying about six feet below the <br />surrounding terrain. The southeastern side of the gulch is marked by <br />• a moderatley steep hillside covered with alluvium mixed with rocks and <br />small boulders. The northeastern side is marked by similar terrain, <br />backed by a steep stratified sandstone cliff. Scattered vegetation of <br />the upper: Sonoran juniper-pinon biome marks the lower levels of the <br />gulch, becoming more dense as the elevation rises. <br />INVENTORY METHODOLOGY <br />The entire study area was surveyed on foot, with a walking pattern <br />which permitted full observation of all flat ground in the stduy area. <br />The weather was fair and no water or5now was seen. All rock shelters <br />within sight and access of the study area were inspected. Particular <br />attention was devoted to the impact areas, viz. the rocky ledges above <br />the mine portal to the left, outcroppings a1~6oulders along Coal <br />Canyon Road and in Coal Gulch, a swath 100 feet wide along Coal Canyron <br />Road, heavy boulders along the northeastern side of Coal Gulch, the <br />entire length of the dry Coal Gulch Creek bed, and a flat, shaded area <br />,s`long the wouthwestern bank of Coal Gulch Cree~dk. Alluvial deposits <br />lying under boulders which were suspect sites far hearths or campfires <br />were examined by trowel. General reconnaissance of the area was made <br />with the aid of field glasses. <br /> <br />