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A. The Division has determined that there are no alluvial valley floors along Tuttle or <br />Calamity Draws by definition. Geomorphically, these draws are located in uplands <br />several miles northeast of the San Miguel River. The uplands are overlain by less <br />than ten feet of unconsolidated material, which has been classified as aeolian and <br />sheet wash material. (The depths of unconsolidated material are documented in <br />Appendix 6-1.) These draws would only have intermittent flow if it were not for <br />irrigation return flows and the areas are not naturally subirrigated. <br />These areas are flood-irrigated by waters acquired from a headgate on the San Miguel <br />River, located approximately 15 miles upstream. San Miguel River water quality <br />(TDS of 180 mg/1) is far better than that found in either Tuttle (TDS of 1200 mg/1) or <br />Calamity Draws (TDS of 1950 mg/1). Water from Tuttle or Calamity Draws could <br />not be used for agriculture without very controlled management. <br />The San Miguel River could support several potential alluvial valley floors. <br />However, since the mine areas are two-and-one-half to three miles upstream, the <br />distance separating the mine from the river is sufficient to mitigate any impacts. In <br />addition, the amount of flow contributed by Tuttle Draw and Calamity Draw to the <br />San Miguel River is very small (0.4 percent of annual mean flow at Uravan). <br />Therefore, the San Miguel River AVFs are considered to be located outside of the <br />potentially affected area. <br />XVIII. Operations on Prime Farmland <br />Based on information presented in soil surveys included in the permit application and <br />the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) San Miguel Area Soil Survey, as <br />well as correspondence from and consultation with NRCS staff, the Division has <br />determined that prime farmland soils, which are Prime Farmland when cropped and <br />irrigated with a dependable water supply, occur in two locations within the NH-2 <br />portion of the New Horizon Permit Area. These prime farmland soils include soil map <br />units D70, D70B, 98E, and 98A, within the NH-2 portion of the permit area, as <br />delineated on permit Map 2.04.9-1. <br />The current status of prime farmland soil areas with respect to Prime Farmland <br />designation is as follows: <br />Designated Prime Farmland <br />WFC Property <br />Map Unit 98A (Begay Fine Sandy Loam) which occurs on 3.52 acres in the northwest <br />corner of the NH-2 permit area block was determined to be Prime Farmland, based on <br />NRCS determination that the site was historically cropped and irrigated (see NRCS <br />Resource Conservationist letter dated June 27, 2008, in permit Attachment 2.04.9-10-4). <br />Based on the actual areal extent of disturbance and practical considerations, the Division <br />57