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2.04.5 General Description of Hydrology and Geology <br />(1) The area of interest is located near the western margin of the Colorado <br />portion of the central Rocky Mountain system. The permit and adjacent <br />areas are situated on the southern flank of the Piceance Creek basin. This <br />portion of the basin is bounded by the West Elk and Elk Mountains to the <br />east, the Gunnison Uplift to the south, Uncompahgre Uplift to the west, <br />and the Grand Mesa to the north. The coal in the area is located within the <br />Mesaverde formation which contains interbeded sandstone, mudstone, <br />shale, siltstone, and coal beds. The Mesaverde Formation lies upon the <br />Rollins Sandstone member of the Iles formation and below the Wasatch <br />formation. <br />The geology description is presented in section 2.04.6. Geology maps <br />include Map 5, Surficial Geology, Map 6, Geologic Hazards, Map 7 <br />Geology and Map 8 and 8A Geologic Cross Sections. <br />Hydrologically the permit and adjacent area is bounded by two perennial <br />streams, Stevens Gulch and Hubbard Creek, and bisected by perennial <br />• stream Terror Creek which are all tributary to the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River, on the west, east, central and south respectfully. The <br />West Fork of Terror Creek is located north of the western permit area. <br />The important groundwater in the area would be associated with the <br />alluvial deposits along the perennial North Fork River. Tributary to the <br />perennial streams are the ephemeral drainages. In the western portion of <br />the permit area ephemeral drainages flow to the east into Terror Creek <br />and to the west into Stevens Gulch. In the eastern permit area Dove <br />Gulch, Sheep Corral Gulch and Freeman Gulch flow into Hubbbard Creek. <br />Stevens Draw, A- Gulch, B- Gulch, C -Gulch and D -gulch all flow into the <br />North Forth of the Gunnison River. (ref. Map 9, Hydrology Monitoring <br />Location). Groundwater found within some of these drainages consist of <br />steep sloped colluvial material being recharged by snowmelt and drained <br />by intermittent seeps or springs. A review of documents recording the <br />extensive exploration drilling in the area indicate perch water zones, which <br />generally occur within lenticular sandstones sandwiched between low <br />permeable clays, and are of low quality. <br />PR -12 2.04-12- 06/10 <br />I vie.11 a <br />