Hydrology of Area 61, Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Coal Provinces, Colorado and New Mexico

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1.0 OBJECTIVE Report on Area 61- -Raton Mesa Coal Region -- Submitted in Support of Public Law 95 -87 Description of existing hydrologic conditions is presented and sources of hydrologic information are identified. This report provides hydrologic information us- ing a brief text with an accompanying map, chart, graph, or other illustration for each of a series of topics related to water resources. The summation of topical discussions provides a description of the hydrology of Area 61- -Raton Mesa coal region. This information should be useful to mine owners, mine operators, and consulting engineers in the prepara- tion of permit applications and to regulatory authori- ties in appraising the adequacy of the permits. A need for hydrologic information and analysis on a National scale was identified when the "Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977" was signed into law as Public Law 95 -87, on August 3, 1977. Coal- producing regions in the United States have been divided by the U.S. Geological Survey into hydrologic report areas. These areas are combina- 2 tions or segments of hydrologic units modified to reflect the distribution of the coal. Area 61, delineat- ed in figure 1.0 -1, is located north and south of the State boundary between Colorado and New Mexico and encompasses parts of Huerfano and Las Animas Counties in Colorado and Colfax County in New Mexico. The hydrologic information presented or availa- ble through sources identified in this report may be used in describing the hydrology of the general area of any proposed mine. It is expected that this hy- drologic information will be supplemented by data from the lease applicant's specific site and from other sources to provide a more detailed appraisal of the hydrology in the vicinity of the mine and of the anticipated hydrologic consequences of the mining operation.