2015-07-01_REPORT - C1980007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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West Elk Mine 2014 Annual Hydrology Report 16 Middle Dry Fork Flume, Lower Dry Fork Flume, and Minnesota Reservoir Flume (Section 3.1.3.2.2). The Upper and Middle Dry Fork stations were established to monitor the SOD mine panels area. The Lower Dry Fork station was established to monitor the SOD mine panels area and the southwest mine panels area (Map 2). These stations were also established to support the Minnesota Creek Augmentation Plan. The Upper, Middle, and Lower Dry Fork stations have 30 -inch Parshall flumes and data loggers. In October 2005, the Upper Dry Fork Flume monitoring station was relocated further upstream and replaced the initial site, because it was frequently flooded by beaver dams. MCC initiated new monthly baseline monitoring of this relocated site in WY 2006 and routine monitoring (three times per year) began in WY 2007. The Lower Dry Fork Flume was replaced in its existing location in October 2006 (WY 2007). Monitoring at the Upper, Middle, and Lower Dry Fork flumes began in 1977. 3.1.3.2.2 Minnesota Reservoir Flume MCC installed a 30 -inch flume and a data logger at the Minnesota Reservoir monitoring station above the high water line of Minnesota Reservoir in October 2006. The Minnesota Reservoir station was established to monitor the SOD mine panels area and the southwest mine panels area (Map 2). The Minnesota Reservoir Flume monitoring station (Map 2) provides more accurate and more representative monitoring data than the Lower Dry Fork flume, since it isn't influenced by water storage in and releases from Minnesota Reservoir. Baseline monthly monitoring of the Minnesota Reservoir Flume was conducted in WY 2006. Routine monitoring (three times per year) at this location began in WY 2007. In WY 2010 this flume was relocated to the north by about 15 feet to minimize the effects of flooding caused by beaver activity. 3.1.3.3 Deep Creek Ditch Flume Deep Creek Ditch is a trans -basin diversion ditch that routes water from the Little Gunnison Creek to Dry Fork, in order to provide irrigation water for users in the Minnesota Creek Basin, and for storage in Minnesota Reservoir. The average annual diversions for Deep Creek Ditch are about 900 ac -ft (CDWR, 2015). A concrete flume (sharp -crested weir) and continuous recording data logger were installed by HydroGeo in this ditch in the fall of 2006 (Map 2). Baseline monthly monitoring of the Deep Creek Ditch flume was conducted in WY 2006. Routine monitoring (three times per year) at this site began in WY 2007. Data from this station provide information on trans -basin diversions versus natural flows in Dry Fork and Deep Creek. This flume is located up - gradient of the SOD mine panels area. 3.1.3.4 Poison Gulch Poison Gulch is an ephemeral stream that is tributary to the Dry Fork and only flows in response to storm events and spring runoff. Poison Gulch flows into Dry Fork between the Middle and Upper Dry Fork monitoring stations. Poison Gulch is located in the SOD mine panels area. The Poison Gulch monitoring station was established as a new monitoring location in the spring of 2005 and does not have a flume or data logger (Map 2). Baseline monthly monitoring of Poison Gulch was conducted from May through October 2005. Routine monitoring (three times per year) of Poison Gulch began in WY 2006. June 2015 HydroGeo, Inc.