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relevant. • RESPONSE Descrintion of Surface Drainages The Twentymile Pazk structural basin controls surface as well as ground water movements in the general area. All surface areas within the Twentymile Park Basin drain to Trout Creek. The headwater area for Trout Creek is south of the Foidel Creek Mine Plan Area on the northern edge of the White River Plateau. From its headwaters, Trout Creek flows in a northeasterly direction approximately 32 miles to its confluence with the Yampa River near Milner, Colorado. Major tributaries to Trout Creek are Fish Creek and Middle Creek. Foidel Creek is a tributary to Middle Creek. Both Fish Creek and Trout Creek are perennial streams while Middle Creek and Foidel Creek are intermittent streams, which flow in response to snowmelt and major storm events. Foidel Creek and Fish Creek as shown on Map 13, Twentymile Park Hydrology, drain the permit area and adjacent areas. The surface area, which will be affected, is contained within the Foidel Creek and Fish Creek watersheds. Mine discharges occur initially in Foidel Creek. After completion of the Fish Creek borehole, mine discharge will also flow into Fish Creek. Surface runoff from areas of disturbance within the permit area is ephemeral. Disturbed area runoff will be directed into sedimentation ponds that are designed to ~p~Q, ~ contain and treat runoff from a 10-year, 24-hour precipitation event. At the Fish Creek Borehole Site, mine dischazge will be channeled to settling ponds, which are designed to accommodate only mine discharge water. „ TCC's mine discharge from the Fish Creek Borehole (discharge site 115) to Fish Creek is anticipated to cease ~p~"' before July 2005, because of new dischazge limitations for ammonia. Mine water from the Fish Creek 3°Borehole may either be recycled back into the mine for dust control, or utilized in the wash plant. A rerouting 7, system to accomplish this was put in operation in February 2003. No other active mine discharge to Fish • Creek is anticipated for the future in either the WMD or the NMD. The headwater drainage for Foidel Creek is located southwest of the Foidel Creek Mine Permit Area. The main channel of Foidel Creek receives discharge from the Foidel Creek Mine after it is treated in sedimentation Pond D. Foidel Creek also receives discharge from sedimentation ponds associated with the adjacent Eckman Park Mine, which receive flows from backfill seeps, and runoff from disturbed and reclaimed areas. Foidel Creek flows northeastward to join lower Middle Creek at a point about 1.5 miles above its confluence with Trout Creek. The Middle Creek drainage is situated immediately south of the Foidel Creek drainage and is separated from the mine plan azea by a drainage divide as shown on the Twentymile Park Hydrology Map (Map 13). Middle Creek will not be affected directly by dischazge from disturbed azeas or underground operations associated with the Foidel Creek Mine. Foidel Creek is a tributary to Middle Creek so that any effects on Foidel Creek would indirectly affect lower Middle Creek. Middle Creek is an intermittent stream, which begins in a headwater area south of the proposed mining area and flows northeastward for a distance of approximately 15.6 miles to its confluence with Trout Creek. The Fish Creek drainage is situated immediately north of the Foidel Creek drainage. It is isolated from the Foidel Creek drainage by a surface drainage divide but receives Bound water rechazge from the Foidel Creek basin. As previously noted in the ground water hydrology description, the Wedge overburden ground water aquifer discharges to the lower Fish Creek drainage under artesian conditions in the center of the Twentymile Park Basin. It is estimated that dischazge from the Wedge overburden aquifer alone provides about 0.5 percent of the streamflow in Fish Creek during low flow periods. Fish Creek is a perennial stream with • headwater in the Dunkley Flat Tops area southwest of the mine plan area. Fish Creek flows in a northerly direction, then toms northeastward joining Trout Creek approximately 22.5 miles from its headwaters. PR 03-06 2.04-'~ `1-14 05/06/04