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I tall 131, M shine Cabin Zf) SCisttalC Sun•ev Fit%ininmental Assessmcral Page I of <br />3.1 INTRODUCTION <br />Tho proposed project is located na northeastern Carbon County Utah, on the West lavapuls Pialeau, and would <br />include portions of T12S, R14 to 17E and T13S, R15 to 17E Due to the high elevation of the Project Area, the <br />predominant yearly moisture is in the town of snow DuNng the summer months, short•chrration, high Intensity <br />thunderstorms are cor-nnion Average annual precipitation r iges from 10 aches in the lower elevations to 20 <br />inches u} the higher elevations Elevations in the Project Ared range from approximately 5,000 feet In the canyon <br />bottoms to 8,200 feet on the Plateau <br />Vegutative cover within the area Is mostly comprised of pinyon pine and jumper but there are areas of aspen, <br />pine, fir, and openings of upland grass sagebrush Deep rugged canyons divide the Project Area The ma;onty ul <br />Ihu area drains noot t-i?sterly to Nine Mile Creek, with a lesser portion of the drainage flowing oast in Jack CreeK <br />to the Green River Riparian areas exist along Nine K40- Creek and typically along the bottoms of the major <br />wriyuns di arcing into Nine Mile Creek and the Green River Riparian areas of the tributary canyon bollorns are <br />dislitbuted along the canyon bottoms within 330 feet of Itio drainage channels in the Project Area The Project <br />Area is primarily used for livestock grazing, wildlife habils.it. wild horse habitat, recreation Minting, and o(l ;arid gas <br />production There are four hydrocarbon units in this area Prickly Pear, Jack Canyon. Peters Point and Nine Mile <br />This area is prrneniy under Vie jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, Price Field Office Surface <br />Ownership 15 apploxunalely 90 percent lederal. 8 percent state, and 2 percent private <br />The souUxiastern portion of the Project Area lies within the Jack Canyon and Desolation Canyon WSAs (Figure 1 <br />1) There are other lands in the Project Area that were found to have wilderness Ghar8Ctei istiGS in the 1 U99 Utah <br />wilderness re-inventory and are contiguous to the WSAs (BLM 1989) <br />WSAs are managed in a manner so as not to impair their suitability for preservation as wilderness Lands outside <br />exisling WSAs found to have wilderness characteristics in the 1999 wilderness re-inventory are managed <br />aecrnchnrj to t?xishng ;and use plans <br />3.2 RESOURCES POTENTIALLY AFFECTED <br />3.2.1 Geology, Minerals, & Geohazards <br />3.2.1.1 Affected Environment <br />Thy. 'ilL .e Cabin 30 Seismic Survey Project Area,s located on the West Tavapuls Plateau northeast and above <br />the (loan Cliffs in eastern CaiWn County. approximately 45 miles from the community of Price. Utah Tr,r. Roan <br />Cliffs kite a northwest to 801.11east trending, south-facing. sinuous escarpment that defines part of the souhlern <br />flank of the Uinta Basin (Weiss at al 19Wj The Uinta Basin is a structural and topographic basin containing a <br />thick succession of lower Tertiary lacustnne ,end fluvial sediments. In the Project Area, the sednnentary hods dip <br />gently !.o the north Beds exposed at the Project Area aria the upper and middle members of the Green River <br />Forrvahon and the underly,ny Colton Formation Lithologies of tho Green River Formation are maristone. <br />mudstone, limestone, s4lstone, sandstone, and shale that alternate irregularly Many thin beds of oil shale are <br />prosent in the lower section of the upper member Lithoalog es of thct underlying Colton Foirnatron are n'-rufstone <br />and shaly siltstone interlaye4ed with thin sandstone layers the raised West Tavaputs Plateau is underlain rind <br />held up Dy these gLNAog(c units <br />http: a??w.ut.hltn.Gov,atunr:cabirtilal-chapter3a,htrn 5,3;2000) <br />CHAPTER 3 - AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES