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1.1 Site Description <br /> The mine sites are located approximately six miles west of Weston in Las Animas <br /> County, Colorado (T33S, R68W) and are situated in mountainous terrain which provides <br /> numerous canyons contributing runoff to the series of ephemeral, intermittent, and <br /> perennial streams of the area. The surface facilities are adjacent to the Purgatoire River <br /> which is the primary stream drainage of the area. The general direction of stream flow is <br /> easterly to the confluence with the Arkansas River also in Las Animas, Colorado. <br /> The closest weather station to the site is located at the Trinidad Airport (elevation <br /> 5,746 feet) approximately 30 miles east. Over a recording period of 50 years, total <br /> precipitation averaged 13.5 inches. The majority of this precipitation occurs from April <br /> to September, July recording the most rainfall in the form of rapidly moving <br /> thundershowers. The mean temperature is 51.50 F, January and July having the lowest <br /> and highest temperature, respectively. The project area is approximately 1,650 feet <br /> higher in elevation than the Trinidad Airport and can be considered to have a somewhat <br /> lower mean temperature and higher average precipitation. Data collected from the <br /> Golden Eagle and New Elk precipitation stations (Tables 1-1 and 1-2 of Appendix 1) <br /> confirm that fact with 16.53 inches and 19.23 inches being recorded at each station for <br /> 1984, respectively. These stations are located approximately three miles apart (Figure 1) <br /> with the major difference in recorded precipitation being observed during mid-summer <br /> thunderstorms. <br /> Generally, soils of the area are shallow and coarse-grained being derived from the <br /> underlying sandstones and shales. Bedrock exposures are common and scattered <br /> throughout the area. The valley bottoms are underlain by alluvial deposits which are also <br /> coarse-grained, however, are deeper compared to soils of the mountain slopes. <br /> Vegetation varies from riparian in the valley bottoms to pinyon-juniper, oak brush, <br /> and pine cover on the side slopes. Vegetation cover ranges from 100% in the valley <br /> bottoms to near 0% on the steeper side slope rock outcrop areas. <br /> -2- <br />