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2013 AHR Page 3 <br />mine discharge would have been 0.17 %. <br />This Year's mean daily flow values for the Cottonwood and Rapid Creek flumes are included on <br />data pages SG -55, SH -28, and SI -28. Flow at SWGS 01 is presented graphically on data page <br />SG -56. At site SWGS 01, water was frozen in the stilling well from 12/20/12 through 2/8/13 and <br />the graph pen was knocked off the chart from 9/6/13 through 9/11/13. As usual, the flow in <br />these Creeks is largely controlled by the City of Palisade, depending upon their need for <br />domestic water. Also, irrigation water is diverted from the creeks by private water right holders <br />at various locations. Table S13 -1 was prepared to show the average monthly flows during the <br />primary irrigation season when low flow in the creeks is critical. Gaps in information are <br />explained above. Minimum recording levels of the flumes are listed at the bottom of Table S13- <br />1. <br />There has been some concern as to whether the flow in SWGS 01 has trended downward over <br />the last few years. The following narrative is provided to explain the reasons for the downward <br />flow trend. Snowcap Coal Company has monitored the flow of Rapid and Cottonwood Creeks <br />from 1986 through 2013 and flow values have been reported to the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety in Snowcap's Annual Hydrologic Reports. Monitoring point <br />SWGS 01 is located on Rapid Creek downstream from the Rapid and Cottonwood Creek's <br />confluence. Flow data for this site was collected from the annual reports for the peak irrigation <br />months of July through October, 1987 through 2012. The Martin - Crawford irrigation ditch, <br />Structure #7200764, is located above SWGS -01 on Rapid Creek. The flow (diversion) reported <br />for this ditch from 1991 through 2012 was added back into the total flow monitored at SWGS 01. <br />This data was collected from the Colorado Division of Water Resources, Structure (Diversion) <br />Records. The flow through SWGS 01 varied from 0.4 cfs to 2.7 cfs with a slight downward <br />trend in flow from 1987 to 2012 as shown on the enclosed diagram S13 -1. <br />Data was collected for both the Colorado River and Plateau Creek in order to determine if the <br />downward trend in SWGS 01 was climatic. The USGS monitoring sites for these two bodies of <br />water are in close proximity to Rapid Creek. The mean daily flows at the Colorado River site, <br />USGS Station 09095500, varied from 1,655 cfs to 6,544 cfs with a slight downward trend in flow <br />from 1985 to 2012 as depicted on enclosed diagram S13 -2. The mean daily flows at Plateau <br />Creek, USGS Station 09105000, varied from 51.3 cfs to 424.5 cfs with a downward trend in flow <br />from 1986 to 2012 as depicted on enclosed diagram S13 -3. <br />To supplement this study, data was collected for the same time period for Palisade Annual <br />Rainfall and Mesa Lakes Annual Snowpack. Data for the Palisade Annual Rainfall was <br />collected from the Western Regional Climate Center, Palisade Station #056266, which is the <br />closest station to the mine site. The location for this station is shown as Latitude 39.1080560 <br />, <br />Longitude - 108.350556 °, which is approximately 3 miles southwest of Rapid Creek. The annual <br />mean precipitation for this site varied from 5.28 inches to 15.28 inches. Recorded rainfall for <br />this area shows a downward trend from 1986 to 2012 as depicted on enclosed diagram S13 -4. <br />Data for the Mesa Lakes Annual Snowpack was collected from NOAA — Colorado Basin River <br />Forecast Center, Mesa Lakes Station MESC2. The annual snowpack for this site varied from <br />10 inches SWE (snow water equivalent) to 33.1 inches SWE with a downward trend from 1987 <br />