Map of erosion potential and sediment sources in the Navajo Mine area, San Juan County, New Mexico

This map shows estimated erosion and sediment yields of an area designated for extensive surface mining, in San Juan County, New Mexico. The results of this study are important for the planning of future mining operations and will aid in developing suitable reclamation procedures. In addition, these data will serve as a base line from which a long-term program for determining rates of erosion and deposition could be developed. Such measurements are essential to understanding the impact of surface mining on geomorphic processes affected by extraction of resources form arid lands. The area chosen for the study lies within for 7-1/2-minute quadrangles (The Hogback South, Kirtland SW, Newcomb NE, and The Pillar NW) in the northwest San Juan Basin (figs. 1,2). The area includes five drainage basins covering approximately 200 mi² (520 km²) that flow west into the Chaco River (fig. 1). Approximately 41 mi² (106 km²) of this area is scheduled for surface mining during the next several years as part of the southern extension of the Navajo Mine.