Laserfiche WebLink
<br />• <br />The project area irnestigated differ in several physical aspects, and will <br />be discussed separately below. <br />grill Hole Locations ~, ~, ~8, f~Q <br />The progsed drill holes of the 4lestern Slope Carbon Exploration Plan are <br />located either in or just above the North Fork of the Gunnison canyon, and occur <br />within an elevation range of 6400 to 8000 feet (1950.72 to 2438.4 meters). Drill <br />holes #5, #8, and ,i`9 are located on the steep canyon slopes while ~7 is located <br />in a sma1= saddle on a narrow ridge extending southeast above the north side of <br />the canyon. Dense stands of oakbrush (Cu_,_erc_ us Rambelii) occur on drill hole <br />locations #7 and #8 and the #1 access road. Location ~f9 will be in a stand of <br />aspen (Populus tremuloides), and its access road will cross oakbxush-covered <br />slopes and grassy meadows in a small, unnamed, intermittent drainage. The drill <br />pad for location #5 has already been constructed, providing a clearing with one <br />hundred percent ground surface visibility, while such visibility in other areas <br />was negligible due to an accumulation of organic matter and a limited understory <br />• of grasses aryl shrubs (Plates IIIa and IIIb). <br />Drill hole locations ;~5, #~, and ,#8 are located on the north side of the <br />canyon, providing southern aspect and exposure. Drill hole location #9 has <br />vantage and exposure to the north. <br />Native lithic materials in these areas consist almost entirely of sandstone. <br />Faunal resources noted or inferred to be in the project areas include deer, bear, <br />rabbits, and presumably elk, at least on a seasonal basis. <br />Oliver Power Plant and Havrk's Nest ttine <br />The Oliver Power Plant and Hawk's Nest dine areas are located at an approxi- <br />mate elevation of 6100 feet (1859.2$ meters) in what may best be described as the <br />riparian ecosystem associated with the upper reaches of the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison Fiver. Vegetation is mostly grasses, shrabs and willow, and the oakbrush <br />community located above extends down into the floodplain in numerous places. <br />Brook and rainbow trout occur in addition to the faunal resources noted above. <br />Vantage is generally poor from the North Fork canyon bottom due to the many <br />stream meanders and dense vegetation just above the river. <br />Both the power plant and mine areas have been sutjected to major disturbance <br />• in the past. Construction of the power plant and mining activities with associated <br />