2014-05-12_PERMIT FILE - C2010089 (3)

Home Browse Search

Map 2.04.7 -1). The NHN permit area consists of 316 acres (not including the narrow equipment haulage corridor). About 117 acres of the permit area located to the south of the 2 11d Park Lateral drains into Tuttle Draw. The 199 acres of the permit north of the 2 Park Lateral drains into tributaries of Coal Creek Canyon. The total drainage basin of Tuttle Draw is about 16 square miles. The total drainage basin of Coal Canyon is significantly larger; however, that portion of the Coal Canyon basin affected by the permit area is relatively small. This area is mostly drained by Meehan Draw (see Map 2.04.7 -1) and including the water shed within the permit area (199 acres) is only about 353 acres. The proposed permit area and upstream watershed is mostly composed of irrigated crop (hay) and pastures with small "islands " of un- irrigated rangeland that are located above ditch banks or otherwise isolated from the irrigation system. The area south of the 2 Park Lateral (about 123 acres) drains through the area of old Peabody Nucla Mine, portions of which have been reclaimed (post SMCRA). The main drainage (see Map 2.04.7 -1, Nygren Draw) to the south into Tuttle Draw has a gradient of about 151 ft /mi. To the south, the maximum topographic relief located along the old Peabody Nucla Mine reclaimed high -wall is about 40 ft. To the north of the 2 Park Lateral, Meehan Draw has a gradient across the permit area of 158 ft/mi. with a maximum topographic relief of about 45 ft. South of the 2 Park ditch, the maximum topographic elevation is about 5775 ft msl and the minimum is about 5680 ft msl. North of the ditch the highest elevation is about 5790 msl and the lowest elevation is 5665 ft msl. Surface Water Monitoring Western Fuels - Colorado added 17 new surface water monitoring stations in the NHN permit area to supplement the existing baseline data. Maps 2.04.5 -1 and 2.04.7 -1 shows the locations of the 17 new stations (numbered SW -N200 through SW -N214 as well as SW -N1 and SW -N3)) as well as the locations of the surface water stations that were monitored by Peabody (that have since been discontinued). Baseline monitoring of the new stations began on October 17, 2008 consisting of monthly instantaneous flow measurements and field parameters (pH, water temperature, and conductivity), when the sites had flow and collecting bi- monthly water quality samples (when sites had flow). Surface water monitoring station SW -N206 was destroyed when the County replaced the culvert (site of station) under 2650 Road in the late Spring of 2009. SW -N206 and SW -N207 shared the collection of flow at this site as the drainage was braided and overgrown with vegetation. Thereafter, all the flow was measured from SW -N207, leaving only 16 surface monitoring sites. Sites SW -N211 and SW- N212 were added in May of 2010. These two sites monitor a sub - lateral and are dependent on the landowner's irrigation schedule. The surface water monitoring data is contained in Appendix 2.04.7 -2 of this permit application. Coal Canyon (aka Coal Creek Canyon and Coal Creek) is located to the north and west of the permit area (see Map 2.04.5 -1). In the upper reaches it is dry except during periods of snow melt run off and heavy precipitation events. Immediately north of the terminus of the 2 Park Lateral, aerial photos (Google Earth) show that water flow begins in the stream bottom and continues to the San Miguel River during the summer months as the result of return irrigation water. The stream gradient, measured from the confluence of the lower Meehan Draw (elev. 5440 msl) to the San Miguel River (elev. 5120 ft msl) is about 99 ft per mile. The Coal Canyon stream bottom is isolated and public access to the canyon bottom is very limited. Two new stream sampling sites have been recently monitored and sampled to provide some evidence of Section 2.04.7 Page 17 November 2011