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INTRODQCTION <br />Colorado Westmoreland Inc. (CWI) is considering leasing <br />additional land from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to expand <br />its mining operation. Plate 1, found in the back of this report, <br />identifies the lease boundary and lease area located in various <br />sections of Township 13 South, Range 91 West and Range 92 West, of <br />the 6th P.M., North of Paonia, Colorado in Delta County. <br />CWI has become aware of the concerns local residents have <br />about how mining activities may affect their water rights within <br />the lease area. Consequently, CWI initiated and completed this <br />study to obtain a better understanding of the existing water <br />• rights situation and to identify water rights within the area. <br />An area of investigation (AOI) has been defined to include <br />the areas of all present leases and permit properties, the <br />proposed long-term lease area, a buffer zone area extending one <br />mile around the long-term lease area or to an important <br />topographical divide (whichever is less), and the area from the <br />southern boundary of the proposed long-term lease area to the <br />North fork of the Gunnison River. The AOI was chosen to include <br />sources of water rights that exist throughout, and adjacent to, <br />the proposed lease area. As a result, this report makes reference <br />to four (4) major basins; namely, Roatcap Creek, Stevens Gulch, <br />Coal Gulch, and Terror Creek all of which have been outlined on <br />-~ Plate 1. <br />-1- <br />