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Southfield C1981014: MT6 3 February 19, 2013 <br />Section 1 - Mine History and the Environment <br />The Southfield Mine is located approximately 8 miles south of Florence, Colorado in Fremont <br />County. The mine can be reached by driving south from Florence via Colorado Route 67 to <br />Fremont County Route 15, then continuing on Route 15 for 4 miles to the mine entrance. <br />The loadout is located 1.5 miles northwest of the town of Florence along Fremont County <br />Road 79. The mine site can be located on the USGS 7.5 quadrangle map entitled, <br />"Rockvale." <br />History <br />Extensive historic mining disturbances characterize the general area of the Southfield Mine. <br />In 1860 the first coal mine was opened in the northern portion of the Canon City Coal Field. <br />Production areas spread through the central area and into the southern portion of the <br />coalfield in the early 1900's. <br />Topography <br />The existing environment in the general area of the Southfield Mine is one of an arid, steppe <br />highland basin. The Canon City Coal Field /Basin lies in the transition zone between the <br />foothills of the Wet Mountains and the eastern Colorado plains, ranging from 5,500 to 8,000 <br />feet. The area can be characterized as a high plains mesa dipping gently to the east - <br />northeast. The mesa is dissected by several northeast trending ephemeral drainages. To <br />the west and southwest of the mesa are the Wet Mountains, where the drainages have their <br />headwaters. The Wet Mountain chain is fronted by a series of overthrust faults which results <br />in pre- Cambrian materials unconfommably overlying overturned sedimentary units. <br />Erosion of the mountains has resulted in a pediment surface within the basin from 0 to 100 <br />feet thick. The action of several ephemeral and some perennial streams has cut through the <br />pediment surface, exposing the coal- bearing Vermejo Formation. This easily accessed coal <br />has been extensively mined since the turn of the century leaving many unreclaimed spoils <br />and waste piles. <br />Geology <br />The mine plan area is located along the east flank of the Wet Mountains adjacent to the axis <br />of the north plunging Chandler Syncline. The syncline parallels the trend of the Wet <br />Mountain Fault to the west. Strata on the northeast limb of the syncline dip gently to the west <br />at approximately 5 degrees. The southwest limb of the syncline dips very steeply and in <br />some cases strata on this limb are overturned. Dips in the southwest limb range from 45 <br />degrees NW to 85 degrees overturned. The Wet Mountain Fault is comprised of pre - <br />Cambrian granitic rocks uncomformably overlying overturned sedimentary shales and <br />sandstone units of the Cretaceous age. Three units are of significance in the area: the Pierre <br />