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King Coal Mine (C-1981-035) MT-9 <br /> precipitation, and by seepage from the Menefee Formation subcrop along the north side of Hay <br /> Gulch. The elevation of the water table varies seasonally, ranging from just above the ground surface <br /> to a few feet below the surface. Ground water in the alluvium probably flows downstream along Hay <br /> Gulch. Ground water in the Hay Gulch alluvium generally has a high concentration of total dissolved <br /> solids (TDS) and sulfate. <br /> The Cliff House Sandstone is a fine-grained marine sandstone, and is more than 200 feet thick. The <br /> mine workings lie approximately 22 feet below the Cliff House (in the Menefee Formation). Based on <br /> information from exploration drilling, this is an unsaturated formation in the vicinity of the King Coal <br /> Mine. <br /> The Menefee Formation is a fine-grained interbedded sequence of sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, <br /> and coal, and is more than 200 feet thick. The operator mines coal from the top of the Menefee. <br /> Based on information from exploration drilling and several decades of underground mining, this is <br /> generally an unsaturated formation. However, lenticular sandstones in this formation have produced <br /> viable amounts of groundwater. <br /> The Point Lookout Sandstone is approximately 400 feet in total thickness. The upper unit of the Point <br /> Lookout is a massive, medium-grained sandstone approximately 100 feet thick, while the lower <br /> member is made up of thin sandstone beds with interbedded shale. Stratigraphically, the Point <br /> Lookout lies more than 200 feet below the King Coal Mine workings. Water has been encountered in <br /> this formation in places, and the water quality has been characterized as good by a professional <br /> geologist. <br /> The only natural springs located within one mile of the King I and II Mines are the Huntington Springs, <br /> located on the north side of Hay Gulch, west of the reclaimed La Plata No. 1 Mine (File No. <br /> C-1987-072). This spring may flow from either the lower Menefee Formation or the Hay Gulch <br /> alluvium. The Huntington Springs are beyond the area of influence of the King I and 11 Mines. <br /> Additional information on ground water hydrology can be found in the PAP in Sections 2.04.7, 2.05.3 <br /> and 2.05.6 and on Maps King 1-004, King 1-008, King 11 —004, and King 11-008. <br /> Surface Water Hydrology <br /> There are no perennial streams within the King Coal permit area. The surface facilities of the King I <br /> and 11 Mines are located in ephemeral drainages that are tributary to Hay Gulch. Hay Gulch does not <br /> have a stream channel in the vicinity of the permit area. Historically, surface flow in Hay Gulch has <br /> been diverted into the irrigation ditch on the north side of the Gulch. This ditch carries water that <br /> has been diverted from the La Plata River. Hay Gulch is a tributary of the La Plata River, and their <br /> confluence is located about six miles downstream (southwest) from the permit area. <br /> Runoff from most of the undisturbed upper parts of drainages in King I and King 11 is diverted around <br /> the disturbed areas through ditches and culverts. With the exception of runoff from main haul roads, <br /> Page 6 of 11 <br />