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Southfield C1981014: MT6 6 February 19, 2013 <br />precipitation received is surficially absorbed into the colluvial material or is lost to evaporation <br />and transpiration. Local towns divert most of the remaining surface waters from the mountain <br />drainages for municipal use. The towns of Coal Creek, Rockvale and Florence all have <br />extensive water lines that utilize most of the water from Oak, Magpie and Newlin Creeks. <br />Water quality information taken from these districts shows elevated levels of calcium - <br />bicarbonate, magnesium and barium. Metals such as cadmium, lead and zinc are slightly <br />elevated due to inactive and abandoned metal mines in the area. Severe channel erosion by <br />the downcutting action of the stream's headwaters into the pre- Cambrian metamorphic rocks <br />of the Wet Mountains has led to increased levels of TSS in the streams. As these high - <br />energy streams proceed eastward, they encounter the softer more erodible rocks of the <br />basin, which continue to add to the TSS levels. <br />Additional information on the surface water for the permitted area can be found in Section <br />2.04.7 of the permit application package. <br />Climatology <br />The climate of the area is directly influenced by the topography, with heavier rainfall and <br />cooler temperatures in the mountains and less rainfall and warmer temperatures in the basin. <br />Annual precipitation in the area is approximately 12.9 inches, with most of the precipitation <br />occurring during the spring and summer months. Average annual temperature for the area is <br />54 degrees with extremes of -20 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Prevailing wind direction is from <br />the west except during summer months when the wind originates from the southeast. <br />Section 2.04.8 of the permit application package provides additional information. <br />Vegetation and Soils <br />Information on vegetation is found in Section 2.04.10 and Exhibit 11 of the permit application <br />package. Maps 14, 15 and 16 show the vegetative and soil communities present in the mine <br />permitted area. The vegetative community consists of three types: riparian woodland, <br />grassland and ponderosa pine - juniper woodland. The Southfield Mine area disturbed two <br />vegetation communities. The refuse disposal area disturbance affected a grassland <br />community. The portal and facilities area affected the Ponderosa Pine - Pinyon /Juniper <br />Woodland vegetation type. The load out area is represented by the Grassland vegetation <br />type. Oakbrush, skunkbrush, mountain mahogany and snowberry are the important shrubs <br />within the Ponderosa /Pinyon /Juniper Woodland vegetation type. Grasses that naturally occur <br />are blue grama, western wheatgrass, needle- and - thread, squirrel tail, mutton grass and red <br />three -awn. Much of the portal area had been disturbed by historic mining prior to the <br />Colorado permanent program. As such, undisturbed baseline vegetation data was difficult to <br />obtain. <br />Three vegetation reference areas have been approved for the Southfield mine; refuse area <br />reference area (Plot "A" representing the Grassland vegetation type), mine portal reference <br />area (Plot "B" representing the Ponderosa Pine - Pinyon- Juniper Woodland vegetation type), <br />and the coal loadout reference area (representing the Grassland vegetation type near the <br />