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Order I Soil Survey, Now Horizon Mine <br />Introduction <br />Intermountain Resource inventories Inc., with James R, Irvine, CPSS', <br />ARCPACS #2404 acting as principal investigator, conducted an Order I Soil Survey <br />for New Horizon Mine, Western Fuels, Colorado, LLC. The survey encompassed <br />approximately 430 acres of land situated in parts of Sec. 1, T. 48N, R. 16W, Sec. 38, <br />T. 47N, R 16W, and Sec. 31, T47N, R15VV near Nucla, Colorado (Figure 1). Mucla is <br />located in southwest Colorado (-- 38° 16' N. Lat., 1 08 32'30" W. Long.) and lies <br />west of the Uncompaghre Plateau, which is part of the Colorado Plateau Province. <br />The land is currently awned by Morgan, Johnson and Benson with mineral rights <br />leased to New Horizon Mine, Western Fuels, Colorado. <br />The geology of the survey area is comprised of [quaternary eolian sands <br />overlying Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone and Burro Canyon Formation. Dakota <br />Sandstone is comprised primarily of sandstone while the Burro Canyon Formation <br />includes sandstones, shales and conglomerates. Soil that is deep to very deep <br />generally occurs in the Quaternary eolian sands while soil that is shallow or <br />moderately deep to lithic or parailithic bedrock occurs on the Dakota and Burro <br />Canyon Formations. Most of the soil has al thin surface layer of Holocene eolian <br />sands. <br />The climate has a ustic moisture regime (soil moisture that is limited but is <br />present at a time when conditions are suitable for plant growth) and a mesic <br />temperature regime (soil with a mean annual soil temperature between 47° F and <br />59 F). Mean annual precipitation is 12.8 inches. The mean annual sail temperature <br />is 50 F. The mean annual air temperature is 52,7 F. Frost free days range 185 to <br />208 days of the year <br />The land surveyed is primadlyr used for agriculture, Approximately 80 percent of <br />the area is used as irrigated pasture lands for cattle, sheep and horses. Seven <br />percent Is in cropland. Eight percent is naturally vegetated with sagebrush, pinyon, <br />juniper, gramma grass and other naturally occurring plant species. The remaining <br />five percent is home- sites, ponds, rock outcrop or other miscellaneous lands. <br />9 Certified Professional Soil Scientist <br />2 Arnedcan Registry of Certified Professionals irl Agronomy, Crops and Soils <br />Page 2 of Oil Date: 08!11198 <br />