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<br />~i
<br />
<br />t.,
<br />well :+s th:• ;h a loss ut individu:d organisms
<br />from the suffocating and :+hrasivc effects of in-
<br />crcascd siltation. 1'hcsc impacts would he p:uticu-
<br />larly notitahlc within the bcnthic fauna and
<br />pcriphyton populations.
<br />The talc o[ siltation in Axial Basin Reservoir
<br />would be incrcascd by more rapid sedimentation
<br />in Good Spring Creek. Depending nn the increase
<br />in sediment loading, the aquatic h;+hitot in Axial
<br />Basin Reservoir could he eliminated in the space
<br />oLseveral years. According to the Caloradu Dis•i-
<br />sion of li'ildlitc (1972) the rescn•oir has an
<br />average depth of only ten feet; a significant sedi-
<br />mentation increase would rapidly bury the exist-
<br />ing ayuatie habitat.
<br />Cultural Components
<br />Archeological Resources
<br />Under the proposed 1976 start-up daft, total
<br />projected acreage disturbance for the Colowyo
<br />hfine by 1950 is 415 acres, by 1935-201 acres, by
<br />1990-240 acres, and by ZOCS-643 ,acres. This
<br />acreage disturbance could impact presently un-
<br />known subsurface cultural resources. As an index
<br />oC potential pothunting end vand:+.:sm, employ-
<br />men[ projections. for the Colow} o ;`fine will
<br />remain constant from 1930 through 1990_ al a total
<br />employment of 244. Projected impacts to known
<br />sites are shown in Table GII[-S. As per Dr:
<br />Lischka's intensive survey, none of the sites are.
<br />o[ National Register significance:
<br />1a)LL C111-1 •
<br />:,...,. of , ~.~~. ~.,... _
<br />Lll.l a~'• ~Nmin~ x.,u.-. Y.~W 1up+.11
<br />s~..,.,.
<br />] 11„Mnln,le l' 1 In(1 Iti le,.rl
<br />) IN l,l e, let 1 ] I,e V •Inr) •bu,
<br />,... L~~+
<br />I... n.e ln. l,l { , ~ ~ .
<br />. (Xl., u,,,) )
<br />Given the nature of these archeological values,
<br />projected impacts would not he significant locally
<br />or regionally.
<br />rscrs
<br />Ilistl:rical Rcumrccs
<br />Imparts 0., historical resources due to acreae
<br />disturbance and incrcascd v:mdafism and p~dwnt-
<br />ins would occur as shown ,hove t:ndcr
<br />Archcolul;ic;d Resources, "I;+ble GIf[-5. as per
<br />the intensive cultural resource surety, none oC the
<br />sites found arc u( National Register significance.
<br />In terms of huth local and regional history pcr-
<br />spcrtivcs, these impacts have nu spcci;+I sig-
<br />nificanrc.
<br />,lcsthctics
<br />l'he largest scale elements in the landscapes
<br />conL+ining the pmposcd action would he the coal
<br />stripping arcs. However most impacts would
<br />result (mm roads and rights-oC-way at;_ndant to
<br />the proposed action itself, because they cover a
<br />larger geographic area and are relatively more
<br />' Permanent features. They also occupy landscape
<br />visual units that are more visible than those nn
<br />' the Colowpo ;`tine itself.
<br />' Proposed dumping u[ mine spoils into Strccter
<br />-Canyon would result in minus deviations of form,
<br />line, color, and texture, as the resulting landtorm
<br />' and vegetative p:rltcrn does not borrow from the
<br />characteristic landscape. Within the first three
<br />years of the stripping operation, a repetitious pat-
<br />tern of sharply angular ridges foreign to this
<br />otherwise undulating, steep, and irr:gular land-
<br />- scape would he visible as foreground from
<br />vicwshed seyuence A1N (Figure GI1-16). Strong
<br />lint dominance of the initial highway haul.lge road
<br />would also be a minus deviation during the same
<br />... time-frame. Intermediate crushing and loadou[
<br />facilities would occupy the (oreground at 'stn for
<br />the tics[ three years; and would have Inrm, line,
<br />and color that contrasts with the characteristic
<br />landscape. Abou[two years afterthe mine hecins,
<br />scheduled reclamation of spoils in Strccter
<br />Canyon would begin to reduce the visual impact
<br />from sharply angular spoil piles. However, the
<br />permanent haul road would remain visible in both
<br />foreground and midJleground to travelers from
<br />vicwshcd sequence Is1N on Colorado 13.
<br />Additional minus deviations in the foreground
<br />would result [rum extension of the cast haul road
<br />across the drainage visible to the west of
<br />viewshed seyuence fhL, scheduled during the
<br />eighth year of mining. This section of road would
<br />be a large fill that would initially contrast sharply
<br />with the characteristic landscape.
<br />~01
<br />GIf:-15
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