PERMFILE137262 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The surface of the NOI is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Coal ownership is not relevant to this application since the exploration holes will not penetrate the coal seam. Furthermore, the drilling is geologically below the coal horizon. Topography The rugged terrain of the NOI consists primarily of the Mancos shale flats that separate East Salt Creek and Big Salt Wash. Elevations vary from approximately 7,000 feet in Section 10 to 5,300 in Section 16. Topography is shown on Figure 1. The proposed exploration holes are accessible by X road off of SH-139 at about mile marker 12. Geology The surface geology of the NOI is made up of the Mesaverde Group of upper Cretaceous Age, the Wasatch Formation of Lower Tertiary Age, and alluvium and colluvium of Quaternary Age. The NOI boundary encompasses the alluvium and colluvium overlying the Mancos shale flats. Surface Water The drill sites and access roads are located within an upland portion of the East Salt Creek watershed. The project location is drained by unnamed ephemeral tributaries to East Salt Creek. The drainages are typically dry with the exception of a few days each year when run-off is generated from significant rainfall events and snowmelt. Ground Water Groundwater is not expected to be encountered. Two of the exploration holes will be completed as groundwater monitoring wells to determine if groundwater is present. Soils Reprinted from EA Soils are developing from sandstone/shale alluvium of the Mesa Verde formation, and Mancos Shale parent material on the fans and benches adjacent the Bookcliffs. They include the Mesa-Avalon complex, 3 to 12 percent slopes (deep, very fine sandy loam and clay loam over very gravelly loam, Loamy Saltdesert ecological site); Persayo silty clay loam, 3 to 25 percent slopes (shallow, silty clay loam over silty clay, Silty Saltdesert); KilipackBadlands-Persayo complex, 3 to 25 percent slopes, saline (shallow to moderately deep, gypsiferous channery silty clay loam/silty clay, Clayey Saltdesert). The steep slopes of the Bookcliffs are Badland or Torriorthent, warm-Rock Outcrop, 35 to 90 percent slopes (channery to stony loam over bedrock at 11 to 34 inches). Erosion hazard is moderate on the less sloping areas, and high to very high on the steeper slopes. Vegetation Reprinted from EA Vegetation in section 9 contains a large sagebrush flat with a limited perennial grass/forb understory, that is critical to deer during the fall, winter and early spring months. The areas adjacent to the drainages and in the higher elevations are comprised of juniper with a shrub and some grass understory. Both of these areas contain a moderate amount of cheatgrass. Section 16 vegetation is comprised of a desert shrub community including: Shadescale, Fourwing saltbush, and Winterfat with perennial grasses making up a portion of the vegetation. cheatgrass and Jointed goatgrass are common