1987-12-01_PERMIT FILE - C1981017 (115)

Home Browse Search

:,Icdern 1 _m,a and Eiota �',Vcrage annUa crec, Di tat i 0!1 1 }-2 J ncnes cr ('lore , wi to 5C V _ falling as snow. Moon annual -Em�eratU-e rands c=t r.ti';ee }�`- �+'� u ` • , and r-nE frost-free oerica iS usually ,esS tnan :5u days. The oc"rnum growing Season is short, occurring from early Jure through late :.iuly (I .S.D.A. Soil Conser- vation Service 1976) . The route of the cr000sed mining road goes throua�i bo forested areas and open meac;o`rls . -flc forested areas are dominated by Ence 1 mann sorUce (Pi cea enCelmdnnls ) anc SubalUine --fir (Aoies lasiocaroa) ; understory veaetation here incluces currant (Rites inebrians ) , ccesecerry (R'.bes OntiaenUm) , wheatgrass (crooyron Sop . , . and brome (BrOTIUS Soc. ) . ne Oven � oars:" areas adjacen t to the ;.imoer stands display fescue Festuca sc : . ; , sedges (Carex spy. , rushes (�Uncus s�)o. ) , and various wiIdf!cwers . Grounc cover in the gees is approxi:m,ate lv 2C`:, that i n the oven areas about 3C`.:. Fauna si gnted or inferred for the area i ncl uce deer i,todccOi l eu5 hem,+i 0!i' S ) , elk (Cervus canadens i s ) , black bear (Urs us ai:;eri canes ) , DorcuDi ne ( ire tnl zor --------------- dorsati� mountain lion ( Fells concc !or,, fox (Vuloes fulya) , snO,vshoe hare L,2-us areri canes) , various Smia i i rocents , anc arouse YOCUT'i Et a I Genera The ale.... O- oralc `.Y the C� rre�' n = cu I c r rC`vacl%, :'lave teen conducive to orehi foric use/occuoation on c u r i n c. the summer fmontrs . !here is an aoundance of Came, anc ed'ibie ; IOra in the area , and water occurs year-round in the Dutch _reek cra i naae cue to numerous seeps, and sori nas . However. because of the rather harsh weather one encounters here from early autumn t0 late sar' r,c. ., iS possible that prehistoric ceooles used the Study area only as a seasonal hunk- - ground. The saddle where the exisrine steel comoany road and new road ,meet (see map) may have been used as a hign pass cy abcriainals . In recent times , the pass has been used by sheepherders , and the high bench where the new road is to be located was grazed (personal corrnunicatien, Dcuc Boviman) . Known Cui-Lural Resources A search of the Colorado Archaeological Site inventory , the Colorado Inventory o i Historic Sites , and ncmi nail On5 penal n0 Or On the lrati Onal Register produced no ;mown archaeological and/or Historical/arch i tectural re- sources in the impact. area of the proposed road construction. (See tpQendix Al for Documentation of Files Search. ) RESEARCH3�7 i OI ALE Because there is little information avallatle concerninc either the archaeology of this particular aeeeraohic area or that of high altitudes in general , the search for ootential archaeological sites in this region is scientifically imperative for the aevelooment of a comorehe.n.sive data base for western Colorado.