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of Munger Canyon up to the portal bench. Construction of the central facilities area, <br />coal processing waste disposal area and interconnecting haul road and conveyor system <br />increased the disturbed area by 87 acres. The central facilities area consisted of a coal <br />stockpile area, wash plant and product piles, office, shop and warehouse, storage yard, <br />parking lot, slurry ponds, fresh water ponds, topsoil stockpile sediment pond and access <br />road. All of these facilities were constructed on the alluvium of East Salt Creek at the <br />confluence of Munger Canyon. These facilities are shown on Figure 2.2-2S of Volume <br />VII of the application. None of the central facilities area was constructed. The site was <br />reclaimed in 2007, and no structures remain. <br />Unconsolidated alluvial deposits were mapped by the applicant in the lower reaches of <br />Munger Canyon. The proposed underground development waste pile and associated <br />features are located at the edge of these deposits. Exploratory drilling in the Munger <br />Canyon alluvium by the applicant indicates that ground water is greater than 40 feet below <br />the surface of the valley floor. Also, the absence of mottling in test pits PT -1, TP -2, and <br />TP -3 indicate the lack of natural subirrigation in the Munger Creek alluvium. <br />Mean annual discharges in Munger Canyon were estimated by the applicant to range <br />from 0.02 cfs to 0.48 cfs, with an average of 0.17 cfs. Mean monthly flows were <br />estimated at 0 during winter months and 1 cfs maximum in May. Flow in Munger Creek <br />occurs mainly in response to snowmelt and storm events. <br />The Division has determined that Munger Canyon does not contain an alluvial valley <br />floor. The depth to ground water precludes subirrigation and surface water flows are <br />prohibitively low for use in successful irrigated agriculture without a means of retaining <br />the flows. <br />The permittee has not supplied information with respect to the presence of an alluvial <br />valley floor in the Big Salt Wash. Therefore, for the purpose of this findings document, <br />the Division will assume that there is a potential alluvial valley floor in the Big Salt <br />Wash. The following analysis will consider potential effects of the operation under this <br />assumption: <br />The only direct effects to the Colorado River could be from the Loma loadout which <br />occupied a rail siding along the D&RGW Railroad right-of-way near the town of <br />Loma, Colorado. This rail siding existed prior to the loadout, and was historically used <br />as a loading site for sugar beets. The total disturbed area at the loadout was 2.9 acres. <br />The Loma Load out was approved for Phase I, II and II bond release with the approval <br />of SL2, and was removed from the permit area with the approval of TR26. <br />Alluvial Valley Floor Findings With Regard to Farming <br />The only identified alluvial valley floor area to be affected by mining operations lies <br />within the East Salt Creek alluvium. The central facilities area would have affected <br />approximately 43.4 acres of the East Salt Creek AVF. The applicant calculated the <br />significance of this area to farming in the pre -mining farming unit. The existing ranch <br />33 <br />