HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.07 Land Suitability analysis) 4 Land Suitability Analysis (Reference ULUR Article IV, § 4-502 D) The proposed Laydown Yard would be located entirely within the footprint of an existing weill r'O~ pad (SKR-69B-10-BV)
at the mouth of the Deer Park Gulch canyon in the Clear Creek valley--1 The Clear Creek region is zoned Resource Lands and has historically been used for cattle grazing, agriculture,
mining and natural gas extraction as it is today. The region is characterized by long, deep, narrow valleys with high, precipitous walls in an area with high local relief. Clear Creek
is located in Garfield County, Colorado and is one of the major tributaries to Roan Creek which is tributary to the Colorado River. The mouth of the Clear Creek Canyon is located approximately
12.5 miles north of DeBeque, Colorado. Clear Creek and its tributaries drain approximately 113 square miles of the Roan Plateau. Elevations range from about 5,600 feet near the valley
floor to about B,OOO feet at the top of Mount Blaine. 4.1 Public Access to Site, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D.1. The subject site is located about 1§,5 miles nOJib-rthwest of DeBeque, Colorado
on County RQad ~11 . The location can be accessed from Inters a e 70, exit 62, by traveling north of DeBeque on Mesa County Road 45N I Garfield County Road 204 (this road is locally
referred to as Roan Creek Road) for about 12.5 miles to the intersection of County Road 211 . From County Road 211, travel north for approximately 4.0 miles to the proposed location.
The proposed location is located just east and adjacent to County Road 211 ,approximately Y. mile south of the County Road's terminal end. County Road 211 (aka Clear Creek Road) is the
primary access to the Clear Creek valley and ilil but approximately· four miles of this road is privately owned and controlled oy Chevron U.S.A. Inc. There are three small isolated tracts
of BLM land in the souther"n portion of Clear Creek that can be accessed from the County portion of 211 . Properties adjacent to County Road 211 and the subject site are owned by Chevron
and Shell Frontier Oil and Gas ("Shell"). Access to the central and n9 rthern portions of Clear Creek is limited by a manned security gatea! the termina l en d of Couf)ty Road 211 (Hiner
Gate) and by a locked gate at the top of a mine road leading north out of the valley onto the mesa. The existing driveway access to the proposed location is secured by a locked gate
to prevent Eublic access to the site. 4.2 Access to Adjoining Roadways, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D.2. The subject site can be accessed b~ an exist" g..ddlle.lllay from Coynty Road 211
This access was approved for construction by the Gadield..G.o.uo.IY. Road & Bridge Department on December . 29-;-200B-(8riveway Permit No GRBOB-P-130l. This access has been constructed
in accordance with Road & Bridge Department design requirements and specifications and is so located that vehicles approaching or using the access have adequate site distance in both
directions to provide safe maneuverability without interfering with County Road traffic. County Road 211 has adequate capacity for the proposed use and there are no site distance or
intersection constraints resulting from the existing driveway access. A Regulation sized stop sign is installed at the intersection of the site access and the County Road for traffic
control and speed limits are posted and strictly enforced. With approval from the Road & Bridge Department, truck turning signs may be installed on either side of the existing access
road to alert drivers of potential roadway activity. Chevron and the Garfield County Road & Bridge Department coordinate road maintenance activities on County Road 211 . Hyland Enterprises,
Inc. has been contracted by Chevron to provide dust control, snow removal, and general road maintenance for the Skinner Ridge D.evelopment. The Hyland Service Agreement is provided as
an attachment to this application.
4.3 Easements, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D.3. Existing easements that could have an impact on, or be impacted by, the proposed Laydown Yard are Garfield County Road 211 to-the west and
the Deer Park Gulch Road, which provides access to the adjacent Spell ' property, . to the south. County Road 211 provides a 60-foot prescriptive public right-of-way through private
and federal land and is the primary access to the Clear Creek region . Chevron has a Surface Use Agreement in place with Shell for access to other Chevron well pads situated along the
Deer Park Gulch Road (Note: the 10BV well pad is not included in that Surface Use Agreement as Chevron owns both surface and minerals at that location). An existing Grand Valley Power
overhea ric line lies a _ roximatel 0 feet SQuth easfQf fbe....e Isling 10BV ad. Tt'ie existing power line and proposed extension thereof are outside the Deer Park Gulch Road easement.
4.4 Topography and Slope, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 E. 4. The Chevron Piceance Basin Natural Gas Development is located in the Colorado Plateau physiographic province. The Piceance Basin
is characterized by high plateaus and mesas dissected by deep valleys created by downcutting of Clear Creek and its tributaries. The Chevron natural gas development area is distinguished
by steep-walled canyons and gentlysloping valley bottoms. The canyon floors can be relatively wide, as along lower Clear Creek, or narrow at the heads of the numerous tributary creeks
and gulches. The existing 10BV well pad is situated at the mouth of Deer Park Gulch where it broadens to gently-sloping bottomland. The pad lies in the central portion of the Clear Creek
Valley at an elevation of 5,840 feet, approximately 100 feet· above the valley floor, and is bounded to the east by steep to moderate mountain side-slopes and moderate to gently sloping
bottomland along narrow riparian corridors and to the west by the gently sloping Clear Creek corridor and the steep talus slopes beyond. The area is mostly open rangeland, with the primary
limitations for grazing being the surrounding steep talus slopes, short growing season, rockiness, and limited water availability. The subject site is just west and adjacent to a small
field primarily comprised of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron crista tum), western wheatgrass (Pasopyrum smithil), and numerous noxious weeds including cheatgrass and a large population
of Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens) . Prior to construction, the 10BV location was comprised of scattered basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. Ssp. tridentata) with an
understory of dense cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and smaller amounts of Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides), wheatgrass, needle and thread grass (Hesperostipa comata) and a minor
amount of Russian Knapweed encroaching from the adjacent field. See the attached Chevron -Buck, Doe, Deer Park, and Scott Gulches Integrated Vegetation and Noxious Weed Management Plan,
Garfield County, Colorado provided by WestWater Engineering for additional details on area vegetation and soils. ~The ground surface at the subject site slopes down from north to south
at between 10 to 30 percent, with the slopes becoming steeper at the north edge of the well pad site where it boarders a small ridge that rises to an elevation of approximately 5,900
feet. )
) ) 4.5 Natural Features, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D.5. Clear Creek is the only natural perennial stream in the vicinity and is located approximately 1 500 feet to the west of the subject
site. Deer Park Gulch is an intermittent stream located '-approximately 147 feet to the south. Deer Park Gulch drains from the northeast toward the southwest-and-rslflvened Into an irrigation
ditch at its lower end. Deer Park Gulch flows primarily during spring run-off and at times continues to flow into mid-summer depending upon area precipitation. Further discussion of
the natural features at this location is provided in the Clear Creek 2008 Biological Survey and Chevron -Buck, Doe, Deer Park, and Scott Gulches Integrated Vegetation and Noxious Weed
Management Plan, Garfield County, Colorado provided as supplemental information to this application. A letter from WestWater Engineering summarizing the Biological Survey Findings specific
to the subject site is also provided in the Biological Survey's section of this application. 4.6 Drainage Features, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D. 6. The site proposed in this application
lies in the central portion of the Clear Creek drainage; a deep, narrow valley cut by Clear Creek. Existing drainage consists of storm water runoff, which generally flows from the northeast
and east to the southwest toward the mainstream of Clear Creek, Segment 14b of the lower Colorado Sub-basin and Basin (Regulation 37, Standards for the Lower Colorado River Basin). Deer
Park Gulch, a natural intermittent drainage, lies to the south of the proposed site. This drainage has a well-defined channel and flows during spring runoff and the early summer months,
but like other intermittent streams in the Clear Creek valley, dries up in the later summer and fall months; typically around mid-July to early August. The existing 10BV well pad site
has been c ns ucted with an approximate slope of 2 percent an pre ared with a com acted gravel surface to address onsl e ramage. he cut and fill s opes have been constructed to promote
rapid runo of surtace water and surface diversions are installed to intercept surface runoff water and divert it off and away from the pad. $tormwater controls have been installed as
shown on the attached Site Plan . ...E ro~on controls and Stormwater Best Mana ement Practices BMP) re ins . . oun a-tl1e~iteto c ontrol drainag s ow runoff velocity. and minimize.Jba
p.otelltiaLfor-emaion sedi e t J:l peed transgart offsite ,Drainage features inst ed the site include diversions armored drains , d sediment tra s, straw watt es, natural ve etative
buffers and silt fence., A culvert has been i nstalled at the drivewa access 0 allow storm water runoff along Count~ ~ !Lpass benea 'fit e access road. The cut and fill slopes an soil
piles have been potholed for seed and 'Ilmtsture-nmmtion to promote the establishment of desirable vegetation for stabilization. The well drained, permeable soils and adequate vegetative
buffer would prevent any remaining sediment from reaching Deer Park Gulch. All stormwater and erosion controls are monitored, maintained, and inspected regularly to minimize the potential
for site erosion. See attached Storm water Management Plan for Best Management Practice (BMP) descriptions.
\1 4.7 Water, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D.7. There are no present or historical artificial drainage ways, irrigation ditches, or natural or manmade impoundments existing at the proposed
location. The small field dirE!c:tIL~ast of the subject site was irrigated at one time and the associated irrigation ditches farther up Deer Park Gulch presumably carry water during
spring runoff and storm events. Deer Park Gulch to the south is an identified Jurisdictional Water of the U.S. No potential wetlands, seeps, or springs have been identified in the vicinity
of the proposed Laydown Yard (See the attached Clear Creek 2008 Biological Survey, WestWater Engineering, 2009). Irrigated and non-irrigated pasture land is found in the valley bottom
along Clear Creek, however the existing SKR-698-10-BV well pad is outside those areas and no significant water flow is found on or immediately adjacent to the site. No water supply or
wastewater system is proposed for this location. A portable waste facility (port-a-john) would be provided onsite and serviced regularly by Down Valley Septic and Drain, Inc. The Down
Valley Septic and Drain Service Agreement is attached to this application. 4.8 Floodplain, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D. 8. Chevron has developed a preliminary 100-year floodplain for the
Clear Creek valley in accordance with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidance and specifications to evaluate the area for flooding issues. The RJ:lwosed-site-is-elevated-appr.o.xirllil.!m
y. 20 e_et above the Deer Park Gulch channel and is """iiOtIocated within a floodplain or flood fringe. 4.9 Soils, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D. 9. The local area geology consists of sediments
from two Tertiary age formations: the Wasatch Formation in the southern portion of the Clear Creek drainage and the Green River Formation in the central and northern portions of the
valley. The soils derived from those formations are deep along the drainage bottoms and shallow to bedrock on mountain side slopes. The area terrain is gently-sloping valley bottom,
bounded to the east and west by moderately-sloping mountain toes lopes and steeper mountain sideslopes. Elevations in the subject area soil map unit range from 5,200 feet to 6,000 feet.
Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches; mean annual air temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F; and the frost free period is 100 to 150 days. The existing 1 OBV well pad is within a
rangeland ecological site located in the Douglas-Plateau area. The soil is classified by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as Happle very channery sandy loam with
3 to 12 percent slopes. The Happle series soils found in the subject area occupy alluvial fans and are formed from Green River Formation alluvium derived from shale. The soil reaction
is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and is used' primarily for native rangeland. The soil is typically deep and well drained with a low available water capacity (about 3.4 inches).
The depth to water table is typically more than 80 inches (See the attached NRCS Soil Resource Report for Douglas-Plateau Area). Exploratory test borings performed during the geotechnical
investigations for the subject site encountered groundwater at a depth of 31 to 37 feet. A detailed description of subsoil and subsurface conditions is provided in the attached Geothechnical
Investigation Well Pad DPG-1c prepared by Geotechnical Engineering Group, Inc. )
4.10 Hazards, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D. 10. Geologic formations exposed in the area consist mainly of Eocene-age Green River Formation overlain by Uinta formation. Green River Formation
is characterized by gray to brown thinly bedded and laminated shale with some interbedded sandstone and claystone. Green River Formation is exposed on the majority of the cliffs and
steeper slopes in the Clear Creek valley. Uinta Formation is characterized by dark gray to brown claystone, siltstone and sandstone. The subject site is located on Green River alluvium
derived from shale. The existing SKR-698-1 O-BV well pad is situated at the mouth of the Deer Park Gulch drainage where the valley widens to gently sloping, relatively flat natural rangeland.
The pad site is not located beneath a steep slope or shale outcrop and there is little potential of rockslide, landslide, or avalanche reaching the pad surface. There is no physical
evidence of previous mudflow or recent landslide events and no signs of erratic drainage patterns or displacement of roads or other cultural features are found at the site. General site
observations and topographical map review indicate that landslide movements in the vicinity have reached a factor or safety against movement of about 1.0 at a slope angle (or angle of
repose) of about 1 to 1.5 Horizontal; 1 Vertical (Geotechnical Investigation Well Pad DPG-1c, Geotechnical Engineering Group, Inc., October 7, 2008). Sources for rock-fall hazard (shale
outcrops) are generally located about 1,000 feet or more from the existing well pad surface and there is little potential for falling rock from these areas to reach the pad surface.
Adequate open and relatively flat space between rock-fall sources and the existing well pad further reduces the hazard associated with rock-fall at this location. The subject site is
not located on a slope of 30 percent or greater or within an area designated as a severe fire hazard, as identified by the Colorado State Forest Service. The site is constructed with
sufficient defensible space around the perimeter to protect the asset from wildfire. No potentially flammable or explosive solid, liquid or gases would be stored at the site. A fresh-water
pond with a water storage capacity of about 350,000 cubic feet (2.6 million gallons) is located less than 2 miles north of the proposed location. This pond can be accessed quickly to
provide initial fire suppression water for trained fire emergency responders and has a sufficient water storage capacity to provide for any facility fire emergency in the Chevron development.
The Fresh Water Pond is also large enough to accommodate use by helicopter in the event of a major wildfire. Chevron employees and contractors are trained in fire safety and emergency
response (see the SKR-10-8V Laydown Area Planning, Emergency Response, and Protection Guidelines attached to this application). 4.11 Natural Habitat, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D. 11. Chevron
is currently developing natural gas resources in the Clear Creek drainage and its tributaries. In preparation for development, Chevron adopted a Corporate Biodiversity Statement that
requires teams to incorporate biodiversity assessments into the evaluation of potential projects and site selection processes. As part of this ongoing assessment process, Chevron contracts
skilled plant and wildlife biologists to conduct a series of biological surveys throughout the development to identify and monitor natural biologic resources including raptors; birds
of conservation concern; threatened, endangered, and special status plant species (TESS); wildlife and aquatic habitats; waterways under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(ACOE); and noxious weeds.
Biological assessments are conducted periodically as field conditions change and during the planning stages for new construction projects. Details of the most recent biological report
for the Clear Creek valley can be found in the attached Clear Creek 2008 Biological Survey and the Chevron -Buck, Doe, Deer Park, and Scott Gulches Integrated Vegetation and Noxious
Weed Management Plan, Garfield County, Colorado provided as supplemental information to this application. The results of these surveys are summarized below. Raptors: An abundance of
raptors have been observed in Clear Creek. Surveys are conducted in the spring to identify and monitor raptors and nesting sites throughout the valley. Raptor species identified in the
area include: Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Sharpshinned Hawk, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Cooper's Hawk, Great-horned Owls, Flammulated Owl, and Northern
Saw-whet Owls. Golden Eagles are well established in Clear Creek and have been observed the entire length of the canyon. Eagle cliff nesting sites were located from Mt. Blaine to upper
Willow Creek. Redtailed Hawks and Cooper's Hawks have also been observed throughout the valley and active nesting has been observed. Peregrine Falcons were observed in Tom Creek and
the upper Clear Creek drainage establishing nesting territories in those areas. Individuals of other raptor species have been observed, but no active nest sites have been located. Most
raptor species observed in the Clear Creek valley prefer high cliff faces, riparian corridors, or thick stands of oak brush and pinyon-juniper woodlands found along the creeks and gentle
mountain slopes. The proposed Laydown Yard would be located in a relatively flat, low-lying area surrounded by scattered stands of sagebrush and open grassy fields with few trees or
other suitable habitat for raptors. BOCC (other than raptors): Five listed BOCC species have been observed during early spring surveys of the Clear Creek valley. These species include
sighting of Pinyon Jays, Virginia Warblers, a Black-throated Gray Warbler and Lewis' Woodpecker. To date, no nests of BOCC have been discovered in Clear Creek. Threatened. Endangered.
Special Status Plant Species <TESS): The occurrence and distribution of TESS plants is strongly influenced by geologic formations and the resulting soil types present in an area. Plants
associated with the shale of the Green River Formation are likely to occur at higher elevations on the ridges, talus slopes and outcrops. No federally listed threatened or endangered
plant species have been found within the Clear Creek drainage. Two federal (BLM or FS) sensitive species: Piceance bladderpod and sunloving meadowrue, and two state (non-federal) sensitive
species: hanging garden sullivantia and Roan Cliffs blazingstar have been identified within the Clear Creek valley. Almost all populations are found growing on steep talus slopes or
on cliffs near the waterfalls at the head of canyons. Noxious Weeds: A noxious weed survey was conducted in the vicinity of the proposed Laydown Yard in August of 2008. The results of
this survey are presented in the Chevron -Buck, Doe, Deer Park, and Scott Gulches Integrated Vegetation and Noxious Weed Management Plan, Garfield County, Colorado (attached). As mentioned
previously, the proposed Laydown Yard is adjacent to a large infestation of Russian Knapweed that currently resides primarily on the adjacent Shell property. Cheatgrass, mullien, and
scattered houndstounge may also be present in the area.
Waters of the United States: Deer Park Gulch is a well-defined creek channel with a visible high water mark and this drainage is identified as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) Jurisdictional
Water. The proposed Laydown Yard is about 147 feet from Deer Park Gulch and the operation of that facility would not require any disturbance to that drainage therefore no ACOE consultation
or permit is required for the subject site. Aquatic Habitat: The existing 10BV well pad is approximately 1,500 feet east and 100 feet in elevation above the Clear Creek corridor. There
is no aquatic habitat present on or adjacent to the subject site and no impact to aquatic habitat would be expected. Wildlife: American elk, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, coyote,
wild turkey, and many small mammals and bird species are present throughout the entire Clear Creek drainage. Clear Creek and its tributaries fall within the Colorado Division of Wildlife
(CDOW) designated Game Management Unit (GMU) 31. Mule deer and elk are frequently sighted throughout the area and both species utilize the mountain shrub community and aspen groves found
on top of the ridges adjacent to Clear Creek to fawn and calve. They spend the summer months at these higher elevations before migrating down into the hillsides and valley floors for
the winter. Both mule deer and elk spend the winter foraging on the south facing slopes and valley bottoms. Lower Clear Creek lies within a CDOW mapped mule deer summer and winter range
area. Upper Clear Creek and its side drainages are within CDOW mapped elk winter range, severe winter range and winter concentration areas. CDOW Natural Diversity Information Source
(NDIS) mapping shows the entire Clear Creek area to be within overall range for black bear and mountain lion. The Clear Creek and Roan Plateau areas in general provide important habitat
to black bear during the late spring, summer, and fall months with its abundance of berry and mast producing plants including serviceberry, chokecherry, and oakbrush. There have been
numerous black bear sightings in the Chevron development area. Mountain lion generally inhabit the steep rocky terrain near woodland habitats and have large territories. Mountain lion
habitat conditions occur within the Clear Creek area. Sightings of mountain lion are infrequent due to their predominately twilight and nocturnal habits. However, mountain lions and
sign have been observed in the northern and central portions of the Clear Creek valley, especially during the winter months when an abundance of mule deer, their main prey, are found
within the development area. Wild turkeys are found throughout the entire Clear Creek and surrounding drainages. Turkeys can be observed in all seasons, primarily in the meadows and
wooded habitat areas adjacent to the creek. There is an abundance of wild turkey and habitat within Clear Creek. Common small mammal species (small game, furbearers, non-game) in the
project area include coyote, golden-mantled ground squirrel, northern pocket gopher, cottontail rabbit, and least chipmunk. The proposed Laydown Yard site is within the overall range
of all the aforementioned species, but the sagebrush vegetation and poorly maintained condition of the field adjacent to the existing well pad makes this area less desirable to wildlife
species, especially since there are adequate irrigated pasture lands and riparian areas in the vicinity. Chevron makes every effort to implement the mitigation measures prescribed by
biologists in the reports provided and continues to assess and monitor environmental conditions throughout its Piceance Basin Natural Gas Development area.
4.12 Resource Areas, ULUR Article IV, §4-502 D. 12. Chevron has contracted Grand River Institute of Grand Junction, Colorado to <fonduct Class III (pedestrian) cultural resource surve
s Ihrou hout the Crea:r-Creek valley. The proposed area selecrearortlieTaydownYar lies within a 2,528 acre block survey area that was recently part of an intensive Class III (pedestrian)
inventory conducted in the fall of 2008 (GRI Project #2830). A Class III pipeline survey (GRI Project #2533) conducted in 2005 and a more recent Class III Utility Corridor survey (GRI
Project #2906) conducted in February of 2009 also overlap portions of this larger block area. Below is a brief summa of findings at the ro osed Lay-down Yard site from the Class 11/Cultural
Re ' Qur.ce-ln v.entoqU 3fl.Q.ort or the Chevron ·te.-Oe.v.elop. ent Proj!1.ct in Garfield County, Colorado, for Chevron North Amen ca Exploration and Production, Grand River Institute,
2008 (attached). Cultural resource investigations in the Clear Creek region have yielded surface artifacts and excavated cultural materials consistent with the regional cultural history.
Cultural resources found in the vici . 'f. f the pro osed Laydown Yard include the previousl recorded his mLc Clear Creek Road (5GF4224.1) which is the existing, upgraded county road
a jacent to the proposed location. This road nas been previously evaluated as officially not eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. One other isolated find
adjacent to the sub'~e (5GF4223) is the remains of an old farm wagon that has also been evaluated as officially not eligible for isling on ne ational Register of Historic Places. Since
these sites have been previously-c de officiall evaluated as lacking.JrlNgritL and not of Na i ~gister qualit , a dete f "no effect IS eemed a J~ ro p riate for the proposed site . •
Accordingl there w SJl o_recommeodaiion for further work in the area. T~o other sites were found within a mile of t !Lsubject--site: The historic ljewton DitclJ.. f!5CjF4207.1) which
is still in use fOrirngation (not eligible); and a_ historic ranch comp~x (5GF4208). This ranch complex is also still in use and is currently occupied by a Chevron lessee who grazes
cattle and maintains the irrigated agricultural lands within the Chevron development. It is recommended that this site be weserved for further data collection. ) )