2020-10-27_PERMIT FILE - C1981035 ‎(22)‎

• Permit No: C1981035
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 10/27/2020
• Section_Exhibit Name: KII Appendix 16 Dunn Ranch LBA Technical Resources Report
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

2.3 Water Resources
2.3.1 Affected Environment
Water resources in the vicinity of the King II Mine include surface water resources in streams, drainages,
irrigation ditches, and reservoirs, and groundwater resources in the underlying geologic formations of the
Mesa Verde Group. For the purposes of this analysis, the cumulative impact area for surface water
resources is designated to include the Hay Gulch area and water diverted from the La Plata River to Hay
Gulch, the Mormon Reservoir located approximately five miles (8.0 km) south of the King II Mine portal,
and the main stem of the La Plata River affected by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) discharge permits held by the King II Mine. The groundwater cumulative impact area is
designated to include the Hay Gulch alluvial groundwater within the permit area of the King II Mine and
groundwater located in the Cliff House, Menefee, and Point Lookout formations within the permit area of
the King II Mine. The cumulative impact analysis areas (CIAAs) for surface and groundwater follow the
designation of these CIAAs in OSMRE (2017). Figure 2.3-1 shows the location of water resource CIAAs.
2.3.1.1 Water Uses and Designations
Water uses within the surface and groundwater CIAAs include domestic water supply, agricultural water
supply, livestock water, and water involved in aquatic and wildlife and fish consumption (OSMRE 2017).
Domestic water supply is either water hauled into the permit area from municipal water supplies or
groundwater produced from the lower Menefee or upper Point Lookout formations. Agricultural water
supply comes from water imported to Hay Gulch from outside the CIAA. Livestock water is from the Hay
Gulch ditch used for livestock watering. Mormon Reservoir is not permitted for recreational use. Also,
there is no fishing in Mormon Reservoir, so there is no aquatic wildlife or fish consumption water in the
CIAA(OSMRE 2017).
GCC has water rights as allocated by permit CO0106C. Approximately 14.07 acre-ft of water is acquired
by GCC from the Huntington Ditch each year for mining dust suppression and bath house facility
operational use. This is equivalent to six acres of seasonal irrigation for hay/grass. The water is purchased
from a commercial water provided in accordance with the Colorado District Court Water Division 7 Decree
07W100 dated April 20, 2011.The water is totally consumed by the mine, bath house water being treated
by a septic system on site and dust suppression water being carried as vapor by ventilation.
2.3.1.2 Baseline Hydrologic Conditions
The hydrologic study area for surface and groundwater resources encompasses Hay Gulch and areas
adjacent to Hay Gulch within the surface and groundwater CIAAs, as shown on Figure 2.3-1. The area is
traditional ranch land divided among private, State of Colorado, BLM, and Ute Mountain Ute (UMU) and
Southern Ute tribal ownership. Underground coal mining is accessed via La Plata CR 120. Approximately
800,000 tons of coal is currently produced annually from 565 acres in the King II Mine.The area is located
at the northwestern margin of the San Juan Basin, a structural coal-bearing basin that extends from
northwestern New Mexico into Colorado, covers approximately 26,000 acres in Colorado, and contains
Dunn Ranch Area LBA and Mining Plan Modification 52
Technical Resources Report