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range established with baseline data. <br /> Surface Water <br /> Instream numeric standards for Dry Creek reference the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission's <br /> (CWQCC),Yampa River Segment 13d for upper Dry Creek and Yampa River Segment 13e for Sage Creek. <br /> For the upper Dry Creek segment total recoverable iron excursions have occurred numerous times at points <br /> WSH7 and WSHF1 over the last five years exceedances of pre mine conditions occurred once. Monitoring <br /> at outfalls 016 and 017 upstream of points WSH7 and WSHF1,was significantly less than the standard. It <br /> appears that the elevated iron is unrelated to runoff from the mine site. No other water quality excursions <br /> have occurred between 2015 and 2019 in the upper Dry Creek Segment. <br /> Spoil Springs <br /> Five spoil springs are monitored at the site and results are compared to the CWQCC Agricultural Use surface <br /> water standard CDPHE Regulation 31. No Agricultural Use standards(manganese),were exceeded at any of <br /> the spoil springs. <br /> For Sage Creek Segment 13e no water quality excursion occurred during the past five years. <br /> Permit requirement of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment(CDPHE),set monitoring <br /> protocol for the NPDES outfalls at the site. Six outfalls are located within the SL6 Phase III bond request. <br /> Over the past five years(2015 through 2019),total recoverable iron was exceeded once in 2016,coinciding <br /> with a runoff event. Exceedances in the period from February through May fall under the temporary <br /> modifications that allow for excursions of iron during spring runoff events. No other exceedances of NPDES <br /> limits occurred during this time period. <br /> Protection of the Hydrologic Balance <br /> All ponds and stock tanks have been approved by the Division of Water Resources to remain as permanent <br /> structures. Permanent pond demonstrations have been made for Ponds 006,016 and 017 and reclamation in <br /> their watersheds has not yet been released. <br /> Replaced plant medium and topsoil should exhibit infiltration rates exceeding that of premising soils,thus <br /> reducing sheet flow and associated erosion and sediment transport. <br /> Summary and Conclusions <br /> Based upon a review of the mine permit,the applicant's bond release application, site inspections,water <br /> quality monitoring results,the Division finds that Seneca Property LLC has successfully completed all <br /> surface coal mining reclamation operations in accordance with the approved reclamation plan and met all <br /> requirements of the Act and the Rules(Rule 3.03.2). <br /> IV. PROPOSED DECISION <br /> Based on the observations above,the Division proposes to approve Seneca Property LLC's request for a <br /> Phase II and Phase II/III bond release for the Seneca IIW Mine. This proposed decision will release the <br /> applicant from liability for topsoil redistribution and establishment of vegetation on 379.5 phase II/III acres <br /> and all reclamation work on 437.1 phase III acres as designated on Map 1,Bond Release Delineation Map <br /> submitted with the SL6 application. <br /> Permit Number C1982057 Prepared by: R.Reilley NIS,GISP <br /> SL6 Phase II and III Page 15 of 16 <br />