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These water level changes are likely due to seasonal recharge in recent years. The backfill water <br />levels will likely stabilize lower than the pre -mine levels due to the increased permeability of the <br />backfill aquifer, which allows the water in the aquifer to be transmitted at a lower gradient. The <br />gradient calculated for the backfill near D pit is less than 0.05 ft/ft, compared to the undisturbed <br />gradient of 0.12 Wft. The heads in the northern end of the backfill aquifer will likely recover above <br />the pre -mine level. Backfill springs are not expected to develop near the northern end of the QR <br />backfill because backfill water levels would have to recover greater than a few tens of feet to reach <br />the lower land surface elevations. Table 2-1 of the 1990 Annual Hydrologic Report (Hydro - <br />Engineering, 199 1) presents aquifer properties at Trapper Mine. The permeabilities from the backfill <br />aquifers are significantly greater than the coal aquifers that they replace. <br />The water -level contours extend through the pit areas for the F, G and Z pits because the <br />R seam was not mined in these pits and therefore the QR aquifer still exist under these pit floors. <br />Some drawdown would be expected in these areas of the QR aquifer and are indicated by the <br />contours. <br />The water -level contours in the northeast comer of the Trapper Mine with the water -level <br />elevation from well GLEV-1 shows that the flow in the QR aquifer turns from the north to the <br />northwest due to the change in the dip of the coal seams in this area. <br />The QR water -level map at Trapper Mine was very similar in 2015 to the 2014 water - <br />level elevations. Gradients and flow directions for the QR aquifer in 2015 are similar to those <br />observed in 2014. <br />Map No. 2-2 presents the water -level elevation contours for the HI aquifer in the fall of <br />2014. Wells GC -1, GF4, GLEV-3, GP -3, GP -7, and GMP -1, which are completed in the HI <br />aquifer, and backfill wells GF -5 and GF -7, were used in the development of this map. Wells GF -5 <br />and GF -7 are completed in the backfill in the area where the H and I coal seams were mined. Flow <br />Trapper Mining Company 2-10 <br />2015 Annual Report <br />