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DRAFT <br />2 SITE CONDITIONS <br />The following paragraphs briefly describe the current understanding of land use, climate, <br />surface water hydrology, hydrogeology, and geology in the Collom area. <br />2.1 Land Use <br />Land in the Collom area which may be affected by the proposed operation are <br />administered by CCM, KEC, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the State of <br />Colorado. The dominant land use is rangeland for grazing of cattle and sheep. Various <br />wildlife species are present including deer, elk, sage grouse, non -game birds, raptors, <br />etc. In addition to rangeland, the general area has been used for underground and <br />surface coal mining. Areas to be affected by the proposed operation do not contain any <br />previous mining activity. <br />2.2 Climate <br />The climate in the vicinity of the Colowyo Mine and proposed Collom pit is characterized <br />as semiarid. Climate stations in Meeker and Craig indicate that precipitation averages <br />14 to 17 inches per year. Monthly average temperatures normally range from 22 °F in <br />January and 67 °F in July. <br />Winds are typically 8 -9 mph from the southwest. Occasionally they reach speeds of 20 <br />to 25 mph. <br />2.3 Geology <br />The proposed Collom pit is located to the north of the Danforth Hills on the margin of the <br />Axial Basin Anticline. The area is underlain by as much as 13,500 ft of sedimentary <br />rock. The principal geologic units in the area include the upper Cretaceous Iles and <br />Williams Fork Formations. Both are part of the Mesa Verde Group. <br />The Iles Formation consists of fine- to medium - grained, poorly sorted calcareous <br />sandstone interbedded with sandy and silty carbonaceous shale. The uppermost unit of <br />the Iles Formation is the Trout Creek member which is approximately 75 ft thick and <br />consists of white, fine - grained, well sorted, massive sandstone. The Trout Creek <br />sandstone is considered the upper -most regional aquifer in the area. <br />2572 -R1 Colowyo Coal Company, L.P. <br />Water Management Consultants <br />