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Within the mining area the geology dips to the northeast to the axis of the Red <br />Wash syncline. Groundwater in this area tends to follow the geology. Coal <br />Ridge is the northern flank of this syncline. It forms the northern hydrologic limits <br />just north of the loadout as the dip has been measured up to 70 degrees to the <br />south. The axis of the syncline tends northwest to southeast plunging at about <br />2.7 degrees into the Piceance basin. <br />The active bedrock groundwater monitoring program entails measuring the depth <br />to water of 16 monitoring wells. Six monitor the upper sandstone facies, six <br />monitor the middle siltstone-coal facies, and four monitor the lower sandstone <br />facies. Monitoring is required once per year during the period from June 15 to <br />September 15. <br />Qualitative sampling is performed only for the middle facies bedrock wells. Once <br />the initial baseline sampling is completed BME is required to resample the well <br />once within 6 months of being mined out. Monitoring well 32-7M was sampled <br />and mined out in 2001. Baseline and final qualitative results for this well are <br />attached. <br />Existing use of the groundwater in the vicinity of the Deserado Mine is <br />nonexistent. The only groundwater rights in the area belong to BME. Early in <br />the mine life BME obtained its water from alluvial wells located along the White <br />River. We have since changed to extract water directly from the White River. <br />Recently we also applied for and obtained rights to draw from and use water <br />being stored in the D-seam workings. This right was applied for during the worst <br />drought on record to supply the mine with water in the event all other sources <br />became unavailable. BME has never used this right. <br />A further discussion of water rights in the area can be found in Section II.C,4 and <br />Map 5 of the permit. <br />Potential Impacts: <br />Quantity: <br />As noted in the Annual Hydrology Reports, the greatest impact to the <br />groundwater hydrology is the reduction of piezometric surface due to mining. <br />Fracturing the strata with subsidence from longwall mining provides an avenue to <br />drain the groundwater to the workings. While the Deserado Mine receives very <br />little groundwater inflow, monitoring wells demonstrate a sudden drop in <br />piezometric surface with the passing of the longwall. The drop in groundwater <br />levels is localized to the immediate vicinity of the mine workings indicating low <br />transmissivity of the overlying strata. The lack of inflow is due to the very low <br />specific storage and transmissivity of the overlying geology. The lowering of the <br />