Laserfiche WebLink
•~ Site-SOecif is Hvdrogeolocv <br />Introduction. Bedrock geologic units monitored at the Yoast Mine during the baseline <br />period include in descending order, the Lennox overburden, Lennox coal, Wedge overburden, <br />Wadge coal, Wa dge underburden, Wolf Creek coal, and Wolf Creek underburden. Saturated <br />quaternary alluvium along Sage Creek, Grassy Creek, and annand Draw Was also monitored <br />during the baseline period. <br />The bedrock units, commonly referred to as the middle coat group, comprise the basal <br />portion of the Williams Fork Formation of the upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Group (see Figure <br />2, Tab b, Geology). This assemblage is bounded below by the Trout Creek sandstone <br />(uppermost member of the Iles Formation), and above by the middle shale member of the <br />Williams Fork Formation, which is assumed to Lie within the Lennox overburden. The <br />Twenty-Mile Sandstone lies stratigraphically above the middle coal group, and outcrops as <br />prominent sandstone cliffs north of the Yoe st permit boundary. The middle coal group <br />outcrops in the southern and southeast portion of the Yoast permit boundary, forming a '~V" <br />shaped pattern along the axis of the Fish Creek anticline (see Exhibit 6-1, Teb b, <br />• Geology). Towards the north, the 4illiams Fork formation (including the middle coal <br />group) dips extensively. <br /> The following sections describe the local hydrogeologic characteristics of the bedrock <br /> units (middle coal member-Williams Fork Formation) and alluvium monitored at or proximate <br /> to the Yoast mining area during the baseline period, although portions of each unit <br /> monitored are either partially or completely saturated with ground eater, the low <br /> hydraulic properties of the units monitored locally, in combination with marginal to poor <br /> eater quality, preclude classification of these geologic units as aquifers. Both locally <br /> and regionally, the only significant geologic units that may be classified as aquifers are <br /> the lower Trout Creek sandstone and the Twenty mile sandstone. Well yields and water <br /> quality in these units are of sufficient quantities for using ground water for beneficial <br /> use; however, neither unit will be directly disturbed by mining. The Trout Creek <br /> sandstone exists 300 io 400 feet below the Wadge coal seam and will be used for a water <br /> supply for the Yoast Mine. The Tuent y-mile sandstone exists 600 feet above the Wadge <br /> seam, and therefore does not exist in any Wadge coal mining areas. The outcrops of both <br /> units are shown on Figure 1 of Tab 7. Robson and Stewart, 1990 gives a detailed <br />. description of both units, including po[entiometric contours for the Twent y-mile <br /> sandstone. <br />5 Revised 06/19/95 <br />