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domestic cisterns. During the non-irrigation season the ditch is occasionally turned on to <br /> maintain the water levels in the stock ponds and cisterns. <br /> The flow in Tuttle Draw is primarily from irrigation return waters. Occasional precipitation <br /> and snowmelt events contribute waters to this Draw. Sediment Pond 001 discharges water to <br /> this drainage system regularly with flows characterized by lows in April, averaging about <br /> 0.01 cfs, to highs in September of 0.9 cfs. Sediment Pond 006 discharges significant flow to <br /> Tuttle Draw beginning in May and continuing through August. Average flow for this period <br /> is 0.4 cfs. In September discharges from Sediment Pond 006 rapidly decline. In January <br /> through April the average discharge is insignificant. This discharge has been monitored for <br /> ten years. These flows appear to be greatly influenced by local irrigation practices. Impacts <br /> on water quality from these ponds on Tuttle Draw are very limited due to the high dilution <br /> ratios. These discharges occur upstream of surface water monitoring site SW-N3. <br /> Measurements of water flow at SW-N3 show rates from 0.019 cfs to 9.35 cfs. Flows in <br /> April were measured at 0.665 cfs and at 9.35 cfs in September. The West Return Ditch is <br /> also tributary to Tuttle Draw just upstream of SW-N3. Contributions from this source <br /> generally decline to near zero during the non-irrigation period. These flows vary from 0.006 <br /> cfs during April to 0.856 cfs in June. <br /> Flows in Calamity Draw generally reflect local irrigation practices. Water from the West <br /> Lateral Ditch's return irrigation flow is its primary source. Very little supplemental flow is <br /> derived from precipitation and snowmelt runoff. In 1987, measured flow rates in Calamity <br /> Draw varied from 0.605 cfs in April to 13.4 cfs in July. Flow in Calamity Draw varied <br /> from 1.04 to 2.06 cfs during the non-irrigation period. Shallow ground water alluvial <br /> sources provide a large portion of this low flow period's water. This ground water flow is <br /> related to local irrigation practices but is consolidated into a more uniform and regular flow <br /> by the permeabilities of these near surface alluvial deposits. Sediment Pond 007 for the New <br /> Horizon Mine 2 mining site will contribute water to the Calamity Draw system. The <br /> drainage system at the New Horizon 2 site has been designed to provide adequate capacity <br /> and storage times to completely control a 10-year 24-hour precipitation event. This system <br /> will collect all runoff from the mine site and should actually lower present total suspended <br /> solids (TSS) contribution from this area over the life of the mine. Increased TDS levels in <br /> this water from mining disturbances are expected but are projected to be within acceptable <br /> discharge levels and will be mitigated by dilution. Regular monitoring of these flow rates <br /> and water quality will give adequate control of this current water source to protect water <br /> quality in Calamity Draw. <br /> Surface water monitoring practices and frequencies are described the permit application. <br /> Also see Section B, Item I.C., of this document for a summary of surface and ground water <br /> monitoring practices to which Western Fuels-Colorado has committed. <br /> Ground Water <br /> The New Horizon Mines lie in a ground water basin defined by the Nucla Syncline. This <br /> broad northwest trending syncline is recharged along the Uncompahgre uplift to the northeast <br /> and discharges southwest toward the major rivers flowing through the area. <br /> 6 <br />