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West Elk Mine <br />2.04 Application for Permit for Surface or Underground <br />Mining Activities <br />2.04.1 Objective <br />The following is a complete description of the environ nental resources at and proximate to West <br />Elk Mine. <br />2.04.2 Responsibilities <br />MCC is providing information required under this section to illustrate and describe the <br />environmental resources that may be affected by West Elk Mine. <br />2.04.3 General Requirements: Site Description and Land Use <br />Information <br />General Description: West! Elk Mine Permit and Adjacent Area <br />West Elk Mine permit area is located primarily on the western edge of Gunnison County, with some <br />extension into Delta County, Colorado, near the unincorporated town of Somerset. The site lies <br />• along the western flank of the West Elk Mountains within the drainage basin of the North Fork of <br />the Gunnison River. Average annual precipitation ranges from approximately 25 mm (10 inches) <br />along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and the lower portion of Minnesota Creek to as much <br />as 60 mm (24 inches) on the flanks of Mount Gunnison. The majority of the precipitation falls as <br />snow during the whiter months, while the sparse summer precipitation consists of isolated <br />thunderstorms. The majority of the area is covered with tall (1-3 m) shrub vegetation, consisting <br />primarily of Gambel oak (Quercus gwnbelii) and Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia). <br />The area is currently used for grazing and forage by domestic livestock (cattle and sheep), and <br />wildlife (deer and elk). Recreational activities such as big game hunting also occur here. The <br />Somerset and Bear Mines are located just northwest of West Elk Mine. <br />The West Elk Mine permit area is drained by the North Fork of the Gunnison River, which is part of <br />the Colorado River drainage basin. The northern one-third of the permit area is drained by <br />ephemeral streams directly into the North Fork of the Gunnison River, while Minnesota Creek <br />serves as the main water course for the remainder of the area. <br />Slopes range from 0 to 90 percent on the permit area. Elevations on the property range from about <br />5,900 feet in the vicinity of Somerset in the valley of the North Fork to about 9,200 feet in the <br />extreme southeast corner of the coal lease area on the flanks of Mount Gunnison. However, most of <br />the coal lease area is between 7,000 and 8,000 feet in elevation. Major topographic expressions in <br />the area are: to the south (Mt. Lamborn - 11,396 feet, Coal Mountain - 11,695 feet, and the Chain <br />Mountains - approximately 10,000 feet); to the southeast (Mount Gunnison - 12,719 feet and the <br />West Elk Mountains - approximately 10,000 to 13,000 feet); and to the west (Jumbo Mountain - <br />Revised November 2004 PRI0; Rev. March 2006; Rev. April 2006 PRI0 <br />2.04-1 11