2025-08-01_PERMIT FILE - C1981019

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RULE 2 PERMITS South Taylor – Rule 2, Page 21 Revision Date: 7/21/25 Revision No.: MR-267 mg/L in well MT-95-02. The alluvial groundwater also often exceeds the secondary drinking water standards for dissolved iron and manganese. Results are summarized in Table 2.04.7-29. Groundwater Use – Groundwater use in the South Taylor Permit Area is limited due to the depth to water, the generally poor quality, and its limited overall availability. Colowyo installed and developed two wells in the late 1970’s to supply a portion of the domestic needs. The two deep wells, Taylor Creek Nos. 1 and 3 are located in Section 33, T4N, R93W, and in Section 4, T3N, R93W respectively (Map 11B). Taylor Creek No. 1, completed to a depth of 850 feet in the Williams Fork Formation, produced 40 gpm with a depth to water of 110 feet from the surface. Taylor Creek No. 3, completed to a depth of 2,284 feet in the Iles Formation, produced 20 gpm with a depth to water of 135 feet below ground surface. Neither well has been pumping since the early 1980’s. Colowyo installed a new potable water supply well in 2004. This well was completed above the Km bed (depth 1000 feet) and is located in the NW¼, Section 3, T3N, R93W. The production rate is less than four gpm. The information collected from Colowyo’s existing operations indicates that groundwater is very limited, even to depths significantly below mining activities. This conclusion is supported by the depths of the potable wells, Taylor Creek No. 1 and Taylor Creek No. 3, and the newer water well. Further evidence of lack of significant groundwater resources in and adjacent to the mine area is that most residents in the general area haul drinking water from the towns of Craig or Meeker. A list of wells in the permit area and adjacent area is included in Table 2.04.7-37. Most wells are used for monitoring purposes and/or are registered to Colowyo. 20 wells in the permit and adjacent area are registered to entities other than Colowyo. Of these 20, four are now owned by Colowyo. Groundwater is not currently used for industrial or mining purposes such as watering haul roads or dust control. Water for these purposes is supplied by Wilson Reservoir located in Section 13, T4N, R93W (Map 11B). 2.04.7 (2) Surface Water Resource Information Both general and detailed information regarding surface water in the vicinity of the mining areas are presented in the following subsections. General Surface Water Resource Information Surface Water Characteristics – The Colowyo Coal Company’s general area of operation is located within the Lower Yampa River basin in northwestern Colorado. The physiography of the area consists of a montane region and an upland plateau. The montane region typifies the headwater reaches of most drainages, which are characterized by steep, narrow, bedrock controlled channels. The channels are generally straight with limited sediment accumulation. Active erosion is limited to areas with erodible shale or friable sandstone (CDM, 1985b). The upland plateau region is characterized by generally flat, low-lying mesas, divided by meandering streams with shallow gradients. The valleys of the larger streams, including Milk Creek and the Yampa River are typically broad, with aggrading of the alluvial/colluvial materials. Erosion and sloughing of stream banks is often severe due to the abundance of unconsolidated materials in the valley bottom, and typically results in increasing sediment loads to the drainages (CDM, 1985b). The climate in the region is semi-arid, characterized by low precipitation, large daily temperature fluctuations, low humidity, and abundant sunshine. Precipitation averages about 18 inches per year, with most precipitation falling in the form of snow generally between the months of October and April.