Laserfiche WebLink
1 Black-footcd Ferret Report Dowe Flats Project <br />' known as Dowe Flats. Local elevations range from approximately 5,230 feet at St. Vrain <br />Creek, on the south, to 5,900 feet on Indian Mountain, to the west. <br />Dowe Flats lies in the transitional foothills zone of Colorado's Front Range, between <br />grasslands of the Great Plains physiographic provence and the mountains of the Southern <br />Rocky Mountains provence (Boulder County 1984). This topographic area, which is 2 to 4 <br />' miles wide, is characterized by long, parallel, north-south "hogback" ridges separated by <br />valleys. <br />' The Dowe Flats valley bottom has been under various types of agricultural use for the last <br />120 years. Over 90% of the valley is currently used for cattle grazing and wheat, corn, <br />' alfalfa, and other crop production. Dominant surrounding land uses are primarily <br />agricultural, recreational, undeveloped, and low density residential. Rabbit Mountain, a <br />' 1,119 acre parcel of Boulder County's Open Space System, is contiguous with a portion of <br />the Permit Area's northeastern flank. <br /> <br />1 <br />3.0 PROPOSED ACTION <br />1 <br />' Over the 25 year life of the proposed limestone mine, the mine, its ancillary facilities, and <br />reclamation would disturb a total of 385 acres, centrally located within the 1911 acre permit <br />' area. Figure 2 illustrates the mine development plan. Initial mine development would <br />disturb approximately 100 acres. Mine development would start towards the south end of <br />the valley and progress northward. The average annual acreage of disturbance over the life <br />' of the mine is less than 65 acres, with a maximum acreage of disturbance of 95 acres <br />(following initial development and reclamation of stockpiles). After initial development, the <br />' mine would progress northward disturbing an average of around 10-12 acres per year. A <br />comparable acreage of prairie reclamation would annually occur in the wake of mining. <br />1 <br /> <br />' Wtstern Ecosystems, Inc j November, 1994 <br />