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West Elk Mine 2014 Annual Hydrology Report 15 3.1.1.5 Sylvester Gulch (Upper, Middle, Lower) Sylvester Gulch is an intermittent stream that drains the north central mine area. Many of the active surface facilities of the mine are located within the Sylvester Gulch drainage basin area including the main road to the mine facilities from Highway 133, the coal refuse piles, the mine ventilation shafts, and the mine water discharge facility. The three monitoring sites in Sylvester Gulch are: Upper Sylvester Gulch (9 -inch Parshall flume and staff gage), Middle Sylvester Gulch (12 -inch Parshall flume, staff gage, and data logger), and Lower Sylvester Gulch (no flume or data logger). These three sites monitor areas up -gradient of the mine surface facilities, areas down -gradient of the mine water discharge point and the mine facilities, and areas down -gradient of the coal refuse pile, respectively. Hydrologic monitoring at these three sites began in 1977. There are five temperature monitoring sites in Sylvester Gulch (Section 3.1.4.2). There was no mine water discharge into Sylvester Gulch in WY 2014 (Figure 9) (MCC, 2015). 3.1.2 Lower North Fork Drainage Basin Surface Water Monitoring Stations 3.1.2.1 North Fork Lower The North Fork Lower monitoring station monitors the North Fork down -gradient of the mine facilities area and mine discharge points (Map 2). Hydrologic monitoring of the North Fork Lower site is conducted by the USGS and began in 1935. 3.1.2.2 Lower Gribble Gulch Gribble Gulch is an ephemeral stream that flows only in response to storm events and spring runoff. This stream drainage drains the Jumbo Mountain B -seam longwall panels (Jumbo Mountain mine panels area) and the northwest 13 -seam longwall panels (northwest mine panels area). The Lower Gribble Gulch monitoring station is located west of the mine (Map 2) and does not have a flume or data logger. Hydrologic monitoring at this site began in 1977. 3.1.3 Minnesota Creek Drainage Basin Surface Water Monitoring Stations 3.1.3.1 Lick Creek Flume Lick Creek is an ephemeral stream that is tributary to upper Minnesota Creek and flows only in response to storm events and spring runoff. Lick Creek drains the southern part of the SOD mine panels area (Map 2). The Lick Creek Flume monitoring station was established in 1977 when MCC was originally planning to develop this tract and consists of an 18 -inch Parshall flume and a data logger. Hydrologic monitoring at this site began in 1977. The site was also established as part of the Minnesota Creek Water Augmentation Plan (WWE, 1986). 3.1.3.2 Dry Fork Flumes 3.1.3.2.1 Upper, Middle, and Lower Dry Fork Flumes Dry Fork is an ephemeral stream that is tributary to middle Minnesota Creek. There are four surface water monitoring stations in the Dry Fork drainage: Upper Dry Fork Flume, June 2015 HydroGeo, Inc.