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can exhibit themselves as tabular and concordant features. Prior to mining in the district, these <br />features tended to control and direct groundwater flows. Following installation of the drainage <br />tunnels, the groundwater surface has dropped in elevation and groundwater no longer <br />occupies these structures at the elevations where mining is anticipated to occur. The <br />subsurface water will still be controlled by whatever geological structures might be found a few <br />hundreds or thousands of feet below the current exploration area and any subsurface flows <br />generated within the permit area will be to the south, against local topography, to move <br />toward the center of the vent structure. Based on the data collected, and on the current <br />exploration and eventual mining plans, the operation is not anticipated to intercept <br />groundwater. <br />9 GROUNDWATER QUALITY <br />Future Water Uses <br />The groundwater from the Cripple Creek District is currently used for irrigation down -stream <br />from its outflow point at the Carlton Tunnel, and the quality has been found to be suitable. <br />Since groundwater is at such a great depth within the Cripple Creek District itself, there are no <br />anticipated or obvious future local uses for it. In the event the Carlton Tunnel were to be <br />ordered plugged based from some poor regulatory decision, the water table would be <br />anticipated to rise again, but not as high as pre -late 1800's levels due to the presence of other <br />workings and disturbances. Thus, it is not likely that groundwater will ever see any beneficial <br />use within the permit area. <br />Surface and groundwater collection program <br />There are no perennial surface waters within 2 miles of the permit area nor are there any <br />perennial streams within 6 stream miles within the basin that drains the area. No groundwater <br />has been found within, or adjacent to, the permit area in the form of surface springs or wells, <br />nor has any groundwater ever been detected in the underground workings or in any <br />exploration drill holes within, or adjacent to, the permit area. Since there are no acid <br />generating materials currently known to be associated with the permit area and there are no <br />designated chemicals currently in use, there is no source for contamination, and thus no <br />potential connection between surface and subsurface waters by chemicals of concern. In the <br />event that conditions change sometime in the future, an evaluation will be made and <br />appropriate plans to protect these waters will be developed. However at this time no sampling <br />programs are necessary or appropriate. <br />