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• Upon completion of mining, all mine disturbance areas will be reclaimed. <br />Reclamation and establishment of effective vegetative cover will minimize <br />disturbed area runoff to the sedimentation ponds, limiting potential <br />effects of surface leaching and evaporation. <br />EFCI has incorporated specific control and mitigation measures in mining, <br />processing, and reclamation plans in order to prevent any significant <br />impacts on surface or groundwater quality. All mining related activities <br />including topsoil removal, mine development, coal recovery, mine sealing, <br />backfilling and grading, topsoiling and revegetation are designed and <br />sequenced to minimize disturbance and progress in a logical manner towards <br />effective restoration of disturbed areas to pre- mining conditions. <br />Protection of Surface and Groundwater Rights. The potential for EFCI's <br />mining, processing and related activities to impact either surface or <br />groundwater rights is negligible. As described in Section 2.04.7, <br />Hydrology Description, the only surface water rights in the mine or <br />• adjacent areas are the City of Florence diversion rights on Newlin Creek <br />upstream of the mine area. The•only other surface water rights which <br />could potentially be effected by activities in the mine area would be <br />downstream water rights on Coal Creek, Hardscrabble Creek and the Arkansas <br />River. Complete diversion of Newlin Creek upstream of the mine area <br />results in elimination of base flow and dry streambed conditions from the <br />point of diversion to the confluence of Newlin and Hardscrabble Creeks. <br />Any potential minor reduction in surface flows to either Newlin or Magpie <br />Creeks is not expected to impact downstream surface water rights since the <br />mine area is effectively hydrologically isolated by dry streambed <br />conditions. <br />Downstream water users on Hardscrabble Creek generally hold senior water <br />rights with priority over upstream water rights on Newlin Creek and <br />downstream water rights on the Arkansas River. If flows on Hardscrabble <br />Creek are not adequate to supply these senior water rights, water users <br />do not even attempt to issue a call on junior water rights in Newlin Creek <br />• because dry streambed conditions in Newlin Creek preclude effective <br />transfer of water and would result in significant and unnecessary loss of <br />water resources. <br />2.05.6 -26 <br />