Laserfiche WebLink
• SURFACE WATER INFORMATION <br />The permit area of the Helen Mine is within the Raton Creek <br />drainage basin. Starkville Gulch which is a tributary to Raton <br />Creek runs east-west through the proposed mine site. Raton Creek <br />receives runoff form an area of approximately 60.5 square miles <br />upstream of and including the permit area, and then drains into <br />the Purgatoire River at Trinidad. Runoff comes primarily from <br />watershed with forested and brushy cover of gentle to steep slopes. <br />Contributions to flow appear to come from seepage from local <br />ground water and highly seasonal storm runoff. The perennial na- <br />ture of Raton Creek is due to ground water seepage from three <br />geologic strata through which the creek has cut; the Raton Formation, <br />the Vermejo Formation and the Trinidad sandstone. All three are <br />aquifers of varying storage and contribute to the Raton Creek base <br />• flow. Since these aquifers outcrop in this area and are unconfined <br />in the stream channel, it is likely that Raton Creek will recharge <br />to the aquifers during period of high flow. <br />Starkville .Gulch is intermittant in the upper reach and spring <br />fed only a short distance before it enters Raton Creek. Surface <br />flow from this spring has lately been increased by modification of <br />what was formerly only a seep. This occured by emplacment of a <br />drain pipe in the seep during construction of the permit area sed- <br />imentation pond. <br />The Starkville Gulch drainage area is 260 acres of pinon- <br />juniper forest and low cover. Due to the intermittant nature of <br />the stream and types of vegetative cover, suspended sediment can be <br />expected in the flow during periods of high runoff. <br /> <br />FISHER, HARDEN 8 FISHER <br />162 <br />