PERMFILE51632

• Permit No: C1982056A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 9/13/2005
• Section_Exhibit Name: 2.04 Environmental Resources
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

• relevant.
RESPONSE
Description of Surface Drainaees
The Twentymile Park 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 contain and treat runoff from a 10-year, 24-
hour precipitation event. At the Fish Creek Borehole Site, mine discharge will be channeled to settling ponds, which
are designed to accommodate only mine discharge water.
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 l.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 area by a drainage divide as shown on the Twentymile Park Hydrology Map (Map 13). Middle Creek will not be
affected directly by discharge from disturbed areas 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 fmm the Foidel
Creek drainage by a surface drainage divide but receives ground water recharge from the Foidel Creek basin. As
previously noted in the ground water hydrology description, the Wadge 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 discharge from the Wadge 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.
The upper Trout Creek drainage is geographically and hydrologically separated from the proposed area of mining.
However, the lower Trout Creek drainage is the major receiving drainage for the general area as both Middle Creek
and Fish Creek flow into Trout Creek in its lower reaches. Trout Creek is a perennial stream with headwaters located
in the Dunkley Flat Tops south of the mine plan area. Trout Creek flows northeastward along the eastern edge of
Twentymile Park for a distance of approximately 32 miles to its confluence with the Yampa River near Milner.
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~,t~P~~"d?i,~ APR 2 9 2000
Permit Renewal No. 3 2.04-30 4/1/99