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potential landslide or rock fall area, and no movement has occurred; movement has later <br />occurred after a particularly wet season or a large precipitation event. The South of Divide and <br />Dry Fork mining areas have a smaller potential for landslides and rock falls to occur due to the <br />topography. These areas have few cliffs and steep slopes when compared to the mining areas in <br />the Apache Rocks and Box Canyon. In 2009 a French Drain was constructed on the south side <br />of Minnesota Creek Road, which is prone to landslide activity. The French Drain removes water <br />from the landslide area adjacent to Minnesota Reservoir and Monument Dam. No mining has <br />occurred underneath the dam or the reservoir. The dam and the hillside south of the dam have <br />monuments installed on them that are surveyed for movement. The data reported indicate that <br />there has been no significant movement from the spring of 2012 to the spring of 2015. <br />United States Forest Service (USFS) water resource ponds and local stock ponds exist within the <br />permit area. The ponds are inspected in the U.S. Forest Service Water Resources Project, which <br />is included in the fall subsidence reports. This section of the report includes photographs and <br />short narratives comparing the photos to previous years' photos. The data collected from <br />monitoring is included in the Annual Hydrology reports for the West Elk Mine. The spring <br />monitoring reports include pond inspection forms that record visual analysis of the ponds. There <br />were no effects from subsidence identified at any of the surveyed locations from the spring of <br />2012 to the spring of 2015. <br />The Lower Cow Camp Subsidence Monitoring Survey was discontinued after the fall of 2012. <br />The spring report of 2013 stated that there had been three consecutive quarters where no <br />substantial effects from subsidence could be found. Similarly the Dry Fork Channel Subsidence <br />Survey was discontinued after the spring of 2013 for having eight consecutive quarters of data <br />showing no substantial effects from subsidence. <br />If you have questions or comments please contact me. <br />Sincerely, <br />Leigh D. Simmons <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />