Laserfiche WebLink
r• <br />X. Qperations on Alluvial Valley Floors <br />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 than <br />ten feet of unconsolidated material, which has been classified as aeolian and sheet <br />wash material. (The depths of unconsolidated material are documented in Appendix <br />6 -1.) These draws would only have intermittent flow if it were not for irrigation return <br />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. Sa Miguel River water quality <br />(TDS of 180 mg/1) is far better than that found in either Tuttle (TDS of 1200 mg1l) or <br />Calamity Draws (TDS of 1950 mg/1). Water from Tuttle or Calamity Draws could not <br />be used for agriculture without very controlled management. <br />The San Miguel River could support'several potential alluvial valley floors. However, <br />since the mine areas are two - and -a -half to three miles upstream, the distance <br />separating the mine from the river is sufficient to mitigate any impacts. In addition, <br />the amount of flow contributed by Tuttle Draw and Calamity Draw to the San Miguel <br />River is very small (0.4 percent of annual mean flow at Uravan). Therefore, the San <br />( Miguel River AVFs are considered to be located outside of the potentially affected <br />area. <br />XI. Operations on Prim Farml <br />A. The Division and Natural Resources Conservation Service conducted an extensive <br />review of all areas ithi <br />wn the permit boundaries of the New Horizon ne an aye <br />concluded there are no units t hat can be classified as pnme armlan (.2 - <br />t��( <br />36 <br />