2009-11-30_PERMIT FILE - C1981038A

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WATEK REPLACEMENT PLAN SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION COAL GULCH DRAINAGE BASIN i • TOPOGRAYHY Coal Gulch is an ephemeral stream which drains an area of approximately 3.3 square miles. Major flows occur during spring snow melt and after heavy rains. Coal Gulch does not flow directly into the North Fork of the Gunnison Rivet. Instead, it is intercepted by the Fire Mountain Canal in Section 29, T.13S., R.91W. Canal interception is at elevation 6,000 feet above sea level. The highest point of elevation on the Coal Gulch Drainage Basin is elevation approximately 8,600 feet in the northwest part of the drainage basin. Coal Gulch drainage pattern is approximately 13,000 feet. The gulch is extremely steep in the northern part of the drainage basin and the average gradient is 20X. Of the 3.3 square miles contained within the Coal Gulch Drainage Basin, approx- imately 2.4 or 72.3X of the drainage basin is outside any existing or proposed leases. The drainage basin is mostly south facing. ALLWIAL/COLLUVZAL DEPOSITS The major par[ of Coal Gulch drainage pattern has either very shallow alluvium or else alluvial sediments are not present. Only in [he extreme southern part of the gulch where the gradient is more gentle than average, small alluvial sediments may be present. The sediments are not capable of being developed as a potential water supply and no wells have been drilled in the area. These areas are not considered Renewable Resource Lands. In the southernmost part of the Coal Gulch Basin, Colorado Westmoreland Inc. has drilled a well designated Train Loadout Well Ifl. This well is situated in the North Fork of the Gunnison River alluvium and does not draw any water from alluvium deposits of the Coal Gulch Basin. SOIL TYP£ Specific soils have been identified in the Coal Gulch Drainage Basin in the Paonia Area Soil Survey, January 1981, U. S. Department of Agriculture Soil Con- servation Service. For specific information on that area, please refer to that report. The area is primarily used in the southern area of Garvin Mesa as agricultural lands, but the rest of the area is too steep for agricultural development. The upper area has been mapped as Delson Loam and in the inter- mediate elevations, Saraton-Agera Fria complex dominates. The agricultural area on Garvin Mesa was mapped as Cerro Loam. VEGETATION The northern part of Coal Gulch is dominated by oak brush. In the lower eleva- tions, pinyon and juniper is more dominant. This pinyon juniper dominates all areas except as stated on Garvin Mesa where cropland has been developed. A few subirrigated indicator species are confined to the extreme channel bottom areas along the gulch. Because of the ephemeral nature of the :low, the larger sub- irrigated indicator species are no[ present.