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will minimize any potential for mining related subsidence impacts on the Pine Gulch <br />drainage. Elongated pillars will not be extracted during final retreat. As a result, the Pine <br />Gulch drainage area will be assured of continued long term stability. <br />GCC predicts the worst possible consequences from subsidence caused by mining at the <br />King II Mine will be cracks in a two -track road and offset of a barbed wire fence on the ridge <br />west of the surface facilities area. As described in Section 2.05.6 of the permit application, <br />GCC has committed to inspecting the road and fence, filing a report with the Division, and <br />providing repairs if there is subsidence damage. <br />XVI. Concurrent Surface and Underground Mining — Rule 4.22 <br />This section does not apply to the King Coal Mine permit application. <br />XVII. Operations on Alluvial Valley Floors — Rule 4.24 <br />A. The Division has determined that an alluvial valley floor exists within the affected or <br />adjacent area. Therefore, the following findings are in order for the alluvial valley <br />floor known as Hay Gulch located four to six miles southwest of Hesperus, Colorado. <br />The King Coal Mine is the only active coal mining operation located within Hay <br />Gulch. Field observations by Division staff and information contained in permit <br />applications indicate that small areas of unconsolidated stream -laid materials are <br />present in tributary drainages, where the King I and King II surface facilities are <br />located. These smaller areas do not meet the size criteria for AVFs. <br />It has been determined that Hay Gulch does meet the criteria for an AVF based on the <br />following findings: (1) The valley contains unconsolidated stream -laid deposits; (2) <br />The valley contains sufficient water to support agricultural activities as evidenced by <br />(a) the historical use of flood irrigation in the area, and (b) the demonstrated capability <br />of the area to be flood irrigated, and (3) the valley has demonstrated subirrigation. <br />Hay Gulch does not contain a stream channel, probably because the original channel <br />was plowed over and smoothed out to facilitate hay production and grazing. Surface <br />water flow in the gulch is diverted upstream of the permit area into the Hay Gulch <br />Irrigation Ditch, which parallels La Plata County road 120. <br />The Hay Gulch Irrigation Ditch is used for flood irrigation in the vicinity of the King <br />I and II Mines. The naturally occurring water table of the AVF fluctuates from just <br />above the ground surface to a few feet below the surface. This ground water supply is <br />sufficient to provide sub -irrigation on the AVF. The land use on the AVF is primarily <br />pastureland with occasional hay production. The essential hydrologic functions that <br />27 <br />