Laserfiche WebLink
Access within the Piceance Creek Basin is generally good. Interstate 70 transects <br />the southern part of the basin while Colorado State Highways 64, 139, 65, 330 and <br />789 provide access to most of the remainder of the basin. The north-central interior <br />of the basin is served by county roads RBC 5, 24, 26, and 31. The major route <br />follows Piceance Creek from Rio Blanco northwest to Highway 64. A secondary Rio <br />Blanco county road along Ryan Gulch (RBC 24) connects Piceance Creek Road and <br />the old Prototype Oil Shale Tract C-a location. Access to the Lease can be gained <br />by the paved roads RBC 5, 24, and 31 (Figure 4-3). <br />The Colorado River and White River are the main surface drainages for most of the <br />Piceance Creek Basin (Figure 4-1). Major tributary streams to the Colorado River <br />are the Crystal River, Roaring Fork River and Plateau Creek, while Yellow Creek <br />and Piceance Creek are the main tributaries to the White River. Most smaller <br />streams tributary to main drainages, especially those in the north-central part of the <br />basin, are ephemeral, flowing only during melting of winter snowpack or during <br />periods of heavy rainfall. <br />Elevation is the primary control of climate in the Piceance Creek Basin. Lower <br />elevations (below 7,000 feet) have less annual rainfall, higher temperatures and <br />larger diurnal temperature variations than in higher elevations. Annual average <br />precipitation ranges from 12 to 20 inches (Taylor, 1982). In response to climatic <br />change, variations in vegetation also occur. Sagebrush and shrubs are common in <br />and lowlands with pinyon-juniper, Douglas fir and pine forests being present with <br />successive increases in elevation. <br />Daub & Associates, Inc. Page 4-9 NSI Mine Plan 2010 Rev. <br />Printed: 7/5/2010 Section 4 Geology