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104 <br />of continuous deformation will be present from about 195 feet above the coal <br />to 50 feet below ground surface. No hydrologic impacts or only temporary <br />minor changes in water level are expected to occur in the continuous zone. No <br />flow or water quality impacts are expected to occur to surface water including <br />springs and seep from mining in the Allen and Apache seams. Mine dewatering <br />will draw current water levels down in Allen and Apache seams by 200 or more <br />feet in the permit area. Water level data from packer testing indicate that steep <br />vertical gradients currently exist in the strata adjacent to coal seams. The steep <br />gradients are related to mine dewatering and/or CBM production and suggest <br />that there is limited potential for propagation of drawdown across bedding. <br />Approximately half of the groundwater wells located within a one -mile radius <br />of the permit boundary are completed in alluvium at depths less than 66 feet. <br />No impacts to water level or water quality are expected to occur in alluvial wells. <br />Bedrock wells within the one -mile radius have completion depths varying from <br />30 to 750 feet below ground surface (bgs). Some of these wells could potentially <br />experience reductions in water levels during mining if they are screened in strata <br />near the Allen or Apache seams. Most of the wells, however, are located outside <br />of the area that will be undermined and are screened several hundred feet above <br />the mined beds. Water quality impacts to the Purgatoire River and the alluvial <br />aquifer from surface operations are expected to be similar to those currently <br />observed from the mine (i.e. an average increase of about 40 mg/1 TDS in river <br />water downstream from the mine, and 400 to 500 mg/1 TDS increase over <br />background in alluvium down gradient of the RDA). <br />Water Rights. The rights of users of surface and ground water present in the <br />area of the New Elk Mine are reviewed in Section 2.04 of this application. No <br />significant amounts of groundwater were encountered in this area. Therefore, the <br />New Elk Mine's effect on groundwater users is not expected to be significant. <br />Also, projections have been conducted which show insignificant effects on <br />downstream surface water quality and quantity beneficial uses. <br />New Elk does not own any water rights. Water consumed by mining (coal <br />preparation, dust control, fire protection, etc.) is leased by New Elk from owners <br />of surface water (currently Hill Ranch and City of Trinidad). The use of surface <br />water is governed by the Division of Water Resources through a temporary <br />Substitute Water Supply Plan (SWSP) approved by the Division. A permanent <br />SWSP has been applied for and is pending Water Court approval. The case is <br />scheduled to be heard in April 2017. <br />Water Monitoring Program. A monthly surface and groundwater <br />monitoring program was initiated in February 1984 to gather baseline and <br />operational hydrologic data to assess potential effects of mining. This program <br />was based on stipulations placed on the permit and has been revised multiple times <br />in the interim period. Requirements of the monitoring program are contained in <br />Table 27, Hydrologic Monitoring Frequency Requirements and Table 28, Water <br />Quality Analysis Parameters. <br />Section 2.05 RN -6 Repaginated 10/21/16 <br />