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Water Quality Monitoring Plan Climax Molybdenum Company <br /> Version R4 Permit No M-1977-493 <br /> 3.3 Tenmile Creek Watershed <br /> The open pit mine, mill facilities, overburden storage facilities (OSFs), and the Robinson, Tenmile and <br /> Mayflower TSFs are all located within the Tenmile Creek Watershed,west of the Continental Divide(Figure <br /> 1).The land adjacent to the Climax property is primarily National Forest Land managed for various uses by <br /> the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). <br /> 3.3.1 Existing and Potential Future Uses of Groundwater <br /> Groundwater in the Tenmile Creek Valley within the Climax Mine property boundary occurs adjacent to and <br /> downstream of the TSFs. The WQCC has not adopted classifications or site-specific groundwater <br /> standards in the Tenmile Creek Watershed in the vicinity of the Climax Mine. Climax maintains wells on- <br /> site in the McNulty and PDWTP areas for industrial and potable supplies, as needed, but further <br /> development of groundwater in these areas would not be likely given the site location and climate <br /> conditions. The majority of groundwater use within the lower property boundary of Climax is recharge of <br /> Tenmile Creek, which is classified for aquatic life, recreation, and agricultural uses. <br /> 3.3.2 Location and Description of Classified Stream Segments <br /> Blue River basin, Segment 13, contains the main stem of Tenmile Creek from the Climax Parshall Flume <br /> (Climax CDPS Permit Outfall 001A)to the point immediately above the confluence of West Tenmile Creek. <br /> Also included are all tributaries and wetlands from the source of Tenmile Creek to the point immediately <br /> above the confluence with West Tenmile Creek. Exceptions include: Segment 15,the main stem of Clinton <br /> Creek from the source to the confluence with Tenmile Creek. <br /> Segment 13 of the Blue River basin is classified as Aquatic Life Cold 1, Recreation P, and Agriculture <br /> (although there is no documented agricultural use). Segment 15 is classified as Agriculture, Aquatic Life <br /> Cold 1, Recreation E, and Water Supply. <br /> 3.3.3 Potential Contamination Sources and EPFs <br /> The majority of the site, including most of the mine's water management and treatment activities occur <br /> within the Tenmile Creek drainage area, including the release of water at the permitted outfall to Tenmile <br /> Creek. Potential contaminant sources and established environmental protection facilities(EPFs)within this <br /> portion of the site are identified and described in Section T-5.3 of the EPP. In addition, a more detailed <br /> discussion of contaminant sources, EPFs, and reclamation activities performed within the Tenmile Creek <br /> Watershed are presented in Section 5.1 of the Regulation 41 Compliance Demonstration Report (Tetra <br /> Tech, 2016). <br /> 3.3.4 Hydrogeology <br /> Groundwater in the Tenmile Creek valley primarily occurs in a veneer of alluvium and glacial till which <br /> overlay bedrock consisting of Paleozoic sedimentary and Tertiary quartz monzonite formations. Data from <br /> seismic refraction surveys and monitoring well logs (Climax Molybdenum Co., 1984) indicate that the <br /> alluvium and glacial till range in thickness from 0 to over 90 feet. The alluvium consists of deposits ranging <br /> in size from clays and silts to boulders. Depth to water data collected in monitoring wells GW#1 and GW#2 <br /> (identified in the previous WQMPs as GWM-1 and GWM-2, respectively) indicate that groundwater occurs <br /> between 10 and 30 feet below ground surface with a seasonal flux in elevation. <br /> EPP—Appendix C March 2018 9 <br />