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About 200 feet below the Wadge coal lies the Trout Creek Sandstone. The Trout Creek is <br /> considered an aquifer of regional significance, but is not monitored at this site. The <br /> relatively impermeable interburden between the Wadge coal and the Trout Creek <br /> Sandstone and the stratigraphic distance between them will preclude impacts to the Trout <br /> Creek sandstone from mining. <br /> The Wolf Creek coal seam, which lies 150 to 170 feet below the Wadge coal seam,is the <br /> first significant aquifer below the mined seam. This seam, appears to be saturated in <br /> this area. The aquifer characteristics of the Wolf Creek(low transmissivity and <br /> storativity values) indicate that very little water is available for upward movement. <br /> Inflow from the Wolf Creek coal seam into the open or reclaimed pits is not <br /> expected to occur. <br /> The Wadge coal and its overburden, which may locally contain the Lennox coal <br /> seam, generally stores and transmits water. During mining, water flowed into active <br /> and reclaimed pits. This water flowed mainly from the Wadge coal, but also from <br /> the overburden. <br /> The Divisions PHC findings are based on the possibility of greater inflows than those <br /> originally predicted by the applicant. The Williams Fork Formation overburden may <br /> contain perched aquifers and may also act as a limited aquifer system near the Wadge <br /> coal. The overburden does not contain or transport significant amounts of water in the <br /> area. <br /> The applicant states that no hydrologic effects due to mining will be noticed at <br /> Temple Well No I (a domestic water right). DRMS concludes that eventually some <br /> effects will be seen at this well. The effects may be exhibited as increased levels of <br /> dissolved solids or other chemical parameters (sulphur,iron) and/or diminished quantity <br /> of water at the well. These effects are not expected to be seen until a number of years <br /> after mining has reached its closest point to the well. Eventually, effects will diminish <br /> as the dissolved solids are leached from the spoils, and the aquifer characteristics return <br /> to normal. <br /> Locally, the major impacts of mining include affecting the quantity and/or quality of <br /> several springs. The probable impacts to these sites will most likely be observed as a <br /> diminution in quantity of water available and a degradation of water quality. Most of <br /> these springs are used for stock watering. Mining should not prohibit this use, because <br /> TDS levels will not surpass EPA limitations for stock watering purposes. Effects of <br /> mining at these sites will not be observed for a few years after mining is at its closest to <br /> these points. <br /> The Olson Spring (5-45), a domestic water right,located about 9,000 feet down gradient <br /> of mining, could potentially be impacted. This spring, which issues from the Dry Creek <br /> alluvium, could suffer a degradation in water quality as of result of recharge of Hubberson <br /> Gulch and Dry Creek alluvium by the spoils aquifer discharge. If the quality of Olson <br /> Spring, is compromised, the applicant will be responsible for replacing this impacted <br /> water with domestic quality water in the adjudicated quantities. <br /> It is projected that the concentrations of these parameters will decrease with time as <br /> the readily dissolvable elements are leached until an equilibrium level is reached. <br /> Further discussion of this is found under the Surface Water Effects of the Probable <br /> Hydrologic Consequences section. <br /> Page 24 of 37 <br />