Laserfiche WebLink
• <br />• <br />Section 2.04.3 <br />Site Description and Land Use Information <br />General and Historical Land Uses within the proposed New Horizon North Mine Permit <br />Area <br />The lands adjacent to the Nucla area were utilized by Native Americans for thousands of years <br />before white men arrived and began to settle in the late 1890's. Initial settlement was primarily <br />focused on livestock grazing operations which took advantage of the large tracts of native <br />grazing land found in this area. The town of Nucla was formally settled around 1900, but it was <br />not until 1910 when the Colorado Cooperative (CC) Irrigation Ditch was completed that <br />extensive settlement into First and Second Parks commenced. The CC Ditch which resulted in <br />water being diverted from the San Miguel River to this area was the first viable agricultural - <br />based operation in this immediate area. Those lands which are beyond the irrigated acreage of <br />the CC Ditch continued to be used for grazing. In recent years, these native rangelands have <br />become the center of big game hunting operations which have occurred as a result of this area <br />being declared as a "trophy" elk and deer hunting area by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. <br />The uranium bearing ore carnotite, was discovered in the area in 1898 and uranium mining <br />commenced as a major industry in the area. Mining of carnotite declined about 1923, the <br />mining of vanadium, which is found in close geological association with carnotite, and which is <br />used as a hardening agent in the production of steel became an important industry and this <br />emphasis continued through World War II. With the development of the nuclear bomb and <br />nuclear power, the mining of uranium again soared and boomed during the 1950's, 1960's and <br />1970's. The demand for uranium saw a significant decline in the early 1980's and the uranium <br />mill at Uravan was dismantled and the town, which was once the largest town in western <br />Montrose County was removed and/or destroyed. <br />Currently, agriculture and seasonal tourism associated primarily with big game hunting are the <br />primary land uses in the Nucla Area. The uranium industry is in the bottom of one of its "roller <br />coaster rides" and the UMETCO mill at Uravan is essentially nothing but a local memory. <br />Energy Fuels, another uranium producer is attempting to construct a new mill to the west of area <br />in the Paradox Valley, but this effort appears to be moving very slowly. The few uranium mines <br />that historically operated in the area appear to largely shut down at the present time. <br />Coal mining operations commenced on a very small scale in the early part of the 1900's where <br />numerous small "wagon box" mines were opened up by individuals who supplied the limited <br />local demand. In 1958, Edna Coal Company opened a small strip mine, called the Navajo Mine, <br />in the area to the south of the proposed NHN Mine and north of Tuttle Draw. Coal from this <br />mine was primarily utilized in a small coal fired power plant located in Nucla. In September <br />Section 2.04.3 Page 1 April 2011 <br />