Laserfiche WebLink
3.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS <br /> The School Section Pit and the Johnson Pit are both situated north of <br /> U.S. Highway 40 approximately 30 miles west of Craig in northwestern <br /> ' Colorado. The natural terrain in the proximity of both pits is relatively <br /> similar, consisting of rolling hills and moderately incised intermittent <br /> ' and ephemeral natural drainage channels. <br /> Several older open pit mines occur in the general area. A series of <br /> ' unsurfaced, unimproved roadways connect all of the mines in the area. The <br /> School Section Pit is on State land; the Johnson Pit is on private land. <br /> 3.1 School Section Pit <br /> The School Section pit mine and associated overburden stockpiles cover <br /> approximately 80 acres. The closed depression created by the open pit <br /> mine covers approximately 20 acres. This acreage is the permitted area. <br /> Based on a 1981 reclamation plan, the pit is estimated to be <br /> approximately 80 feet deep. In February 1987, there was a pond in the <br /> bottom of the pit estimated to be on the order of 30 feet deep. <br /> The existing pit slopes vary from near-vertical at the hard sandstone <br /> cliff on the south side of the pit to approximately 30% along the western, <br /> northern and eastern sides. The curved Swale of the northeastern portion <br /> of the pit has an average slope of less than 10%. <br /> -3- <br />