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Natural Soda LLC 2016 Project Status Report & Annual Plan of Development <br /> 5.0 Environmental Monitoring and Protection <br /> ' 5.1 Hydrology Monitoring <br /> ' 5.1.1 Introduction <br /> NS's hydrology monitoring program concentrates on ground water, as there are no <br /> perennial streams or springs located on or near NS's sodium leases. The USGS <br /> ' stream gauging station-monitoring program is conducted, with NS support, to provide <br /> regional surface stream flow data on Yellow and Piceance Creeks. <br /> The hydrology-monitoring plan is designed to determine impacts of NS's solution mining <br /> operations on underground sources of drinking water, as designated by the US EPA. <br /> Refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 for the locations of existing monitor wells. Groundwater <br /> analytical results are presented in Appendix A. <br /> ' 5.1.2 Stream Gauging Stations <br /> NS continues to contract with the USGS to monitor surface water for water quality and <br /> quantity. Monitoring was performed upstream and downstream relative to the mining <br /> operations and with respect to Yellow Creek and Piceance Creek at four existing <br /> stations with extensive historical data. Historical stream gauging data is reported in this <br /> document and discharge data is complete through the 2016 water year (October 2015 — <br /> September 2016). Specific conductivity and temperature data are not yet available for <br /> 2016, and will be recorded in the 2017 Annual Report. <br /> ' The USGS surface water data are available to the public from the USGS web site at <br /> http://co.water.usgs.gov. Tables 6 and 7 summarize key 2016 water year data for <br /> surface water near the NS site. <br /> ' A review of USGS stream water quality data indicated no significant change in stream <br /> q Y g 9 <br /> water quality through 2016. Although 2016 data showed an increase in precipitation <br /> amounts, water year data indicated below historic average stream discharge levels in <br /> the area. This may be due to diversions upstream from the monitoring stations for <br /> ' irrigation purposes. Increased discharges were noted in the 2016 water year when <br /> compared to the 2012 through 2015 water years. No effect on stream water quality or <br /> quantity was noted from any of the NS operations. <br /> ' DAUB&ASSOCIATES. INC. I. 21 January 2017 <br />