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RULE 2 PERMITS <br /> <br />South Taylor – Rule 2, Page 26 Revision Date: 7/21/25 <br /> Revision No.: MR-267 <br />monitoring in Wilson Creek revealed flows that ranged from 0.2 cfs at Upper Wilson Creek (UWC) to <br />41.25 cfs at Lower Wilson Creek (LWC). Increases in flows were also observed to coincide with periods <br />of snowmelt and spring runoff. Measured flows in Jubb Creek illustrated the ephemeral nature of the <br />drainage, ranging from 0.01 cfs at West Fork Jubb Creek (WFJC) and East Fork Jubb Creek (EFJC) to <br />1.45 cfs at the confluence of Jubb Creek (CJC). <br /> <br />Seeps and Springs – CDM identified 59 seeps and springs in May 1984 within the general area. Most <br />were found by later investigations. Of these, 15 had sufficient flow to warrant study; these are <br />summarized in this permit revision. CDM investigated springs during an unusually wet year; their <br />reported spring flows during April and May are substantially higher than those reported by later <br />investigators (CDM, 1985b). <br /> <br />JBR Environmental Consultants, Inc. (JBR) surveyed the South Taylor permit revision area in 1997 to <br />determine the occurrences of groundwater discharge in the form of seeps and springs. Three study areas <br />were surveyed. Study Area A included the area of Colowyo’s existing mining operations. Study Area B, <br />south and west of Study Area A, included portions of Good Spring Creek, Wilson Creek, and Taylor <br />Creek. Study Area C, located west of Study Area A, included two short reaches of Wilson Creek on the <br />east, and the Upper branches of Straight Gulch on the west. The intervening area included the East and <br />West forks of Jubb Creek. The surveys were conducted during the late summer months (August and <br />September), when base flow conditions have typically been reached. The surveys were conducted in a <br />year with above average precipitation, and thus, surface flows in the study areas were significantly higher <br />than normal late-summer flows (JBR, 1998a, 1998b, 1997). <br /> <br />The JBR surveys identified 17 potential seeps and springs in Study Area A, 29 in Study Area B, and more <br />than 60 in Study Area C (JBR, 1998a, 1998b, 1997). Most of the seeps and springs identified in the <br />surveys were found in or near drainage bottoms. Development of small stock ponds had taken place <br />below many of the springs. The surveys did not include water quality sampling. <br /> <br />Colowyo monitored 14 seeps and springs within the permit revision area in June-August 1999 and from <br />two springs from March 2005 – March 2006, and will monitor all springs shown in Table 2.05.6-2 from <br />March 2006 to March 2007. Nine of those locations corresponded to seeps and springs identified in the <br />JBR surveys. Measurable flows during all monitoring periods ranged from 0.5 gpm at SPRLW-02 to 317 <br />gpm at JCS-1. Flow data from all sources are summarized on Table 2.05.6-2, and the locations of all <br />monitored springs and seeps are shown on Map 10. <br /> <br />Surface Water Quality – Surface water samples were collected in the South Taylor permit revision area <br />as part of the baseline monitoring studies conducted by Colowyo in 1996/1997, 1999/2000, and 2005- <br />2006. Water quality data obtained from surface water monitoring locations in Good Spring, Taylor, <br />Wilson, and Jubb creeks are presented in Table 2.04.7-34 and Table 2.04.7-35. These tables include those <br />constituents identified in Rule 2.04.7(2)(b)(ii), except for acidity and dissolved iron, which were not <br />analyzed. Values presented for iron and manganese represent total recoverable concentrations. Trilinear <br />diagrams depicting the mean water quality data from these surface water monitoring locations are <br />presented in figures 2.04.7-29 through 2.04.7-32. Surface water quality in each of these drainages is <br />discussed below. <br /> <br />Good Spring Creek – The water quality in Good Spring Creek is principally magnesium sulfate or <br />magnesium-bicarbonate. The total dissolved solids content ranged from 480 mg/L at UWFGSC to 1,600 <br />mg/L at LWFGSC. Average TDS values for all monitoring locations exceeded the USEPA secondary <br />drinking water standard for TDS of 500 mg/L. In addition, although the mean total recoverable iron <br />concentration of 0.6 to 0.8 mg/L in Good Spring Creek is below the USEPA aquatic life standard of 1.0 <br />mg/L, the individual samples often exceeded this standard.