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• _ III IIIIIIIIIIIII III PROJECT PROPOSAL C~ 85-V <br />' 'l 999 <br />COLORADO DISTRICT" - l'fATER RESOURCES DIVISIOIJ .;~I_~D..i-.n~ <br /> <br />Hydrologic characterization of the Hart Syncline area, Korthvrest <br />Colorado <br />B. LOCATION: <br />l"he study area is located southeast of Craig, Colorado. Formation <br />of in terest include the water-yielding u nits of the f.lesaverde Group <br />and the unconsolidated alluvial deposits along the strear channels. <br />C. PROBLEM: <br />i'he shallovr depth to low-sulfur sorb-bituminous to bituminous coal <br />makes surface mining of coal in northwestern Colorado an <br />economically feasible process. Existing coil-fired power plants in <br />the area provide a potential market for the region's coal_ <br />The Bureau of Land f.tanaaement (BLM1!) has the respons9bility of <br />determining suitability of potential coal-lease tracts for mining. <br />The BLPA must consider both abiotic and biotic factors vrhen <br />zssessing the potential environmental impact of additiona] mineral <br />development activities. Impacts that may occur immediately can <br />create long-term problems involving control or clean up. To <br />facilitate the decision making processes which include whether or <br />not to lease, type of mining to permit, and amount of control <br />necessary in handling waste discharge and overburden material, it <br />is necessary to under:,tand and describe the existing gr~•und- and <br />surface-water systems in terms of water availability, <br />flow-chzracteristics, and quality. <br />Existing mines and proposed new mines in the area w1ll dump water <br />from the t,lesaverde Group to prevent mine flooding. l"his pumpage <br />coupled with leaching of soluble minerals from mine tailings into the <br />bedrock or alluvial aquifers can adversely affect the oround-water <br />resources in the area. Assessment of probable mining impacts on <br />the water resources are required as part of the mine permitting <br />procedures fcllowed by the Office of Mined Land P.eclamztion. <br /> <br />+ <br />l"he general purpose of this study is to describe baseline <br />hydrogeologic conditions in the Hart Syncline area. Tha <br />description v+ill be based largely on conditioning surface-v+ater <br />quality and quantity information with ground-water information <br />obtained in phase 1 of the study. <br />1. Determine aquifer(s) location, aquifer(s) hydraulic <br />properties, and aquifer(s) water chemistry. <br />2. Determine surface-water discharye, surface-water chemistry, <br />sediment load, and gaining and losing sections of L'~e stream. <br />