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Water Rights Augmentation Plan. The plan for water right's augmentation (Attachment 16-1, Water Rights Investigation and Plan for Augrentation, was submitted to the District Court for Water District '~57 on June 23, 1995. The proposed plan was developed due to potential water shortages to senior water right holders along the Yampa Hiver, and to ensure sufficient water availability for senior water rights in the Sage Creek drainage. D~:pletions to stream flows from the proposed Yoast Mine supply well were determined to be insignificant, however, surface water proposed for retention and industrial usage at Ponds 010 and 0"12 could impact righted water sources downstream. Attachment 16-1, Water Flights Inve;:ligation and Plan for Augmentation, presents details regarding SCC owned water rights and water leasing agreements that will be incorporated into the augmentation 'plan. Attachment 16-4 presents the Water Court documents for the Yoast Mine's water rights. Attachment 18-5, Yoast Mine - Avenjge Annual Water Depletion Estimate, presents the estimate of water depletion with regard to the OSM Windy GAP process. Alluvial Valley Floors Introduction. Two alluvial valley floor IAVFI studies were performed on Sage Creek and Grassy Creek along with their associated tributaries. The first study was conducted by Keammerer Ecological Consultants and Golder Associates, Inc. in 1990. This study focused on Dry Creek, Sage Creek, and the upper portion of Grassy Creek. A second AVF study was performed by Golder Associates, Inc. and Western Resources Development in the fall of 1992 and the spring of 1993. This study focused on the drainages which could be potentially affected by runoff from the first eight years of mining at Yoast. The specific drainages evaluated in this study include lower Grassy Creek, Scotchman's Gulch, Annand Draw, and an unnamed drainage lying east of Annand Draw. Reports of both studies are presented in Attachment 16-3, Alluvial Valley Floor Investigations for the Yoast Mine, and alluvial and land use mapping is shown on Exhibits 16-2, Alluvial Deposits Along Dry Creek, Sage Creek, and Grassy Creek and 16-3, Land Use, Flood Irrigated, and Subirrigated Areas Along Dry Creek, Sage Creek, and Grassy Creek. ~. 1990 AVF Investigation Summary. Three Subirrigated hay fields were identified along Sage Creek. Two of the Subirrigated fields are in Sections 30 and 19 of T5N, R87W and are upstream of all proposed mining disturbance associated with the Yoast Mine. The third Subirrigated field (which is occasionally flood irrigated) is located in Section 18, T5N, R87W, 1.5 miles downstream from the mine and immediately above the failed Sage Creek Reservoir dam. The field is used to produce grass hay. The subirrigation potential of this field will not be measurably impacted by mine pit pumpage or spoil spring discharges (see Tab 17, Probable Hydrologic Consequences) as less than one percent TDS • changes have been calculated to occur in the Sage Creek alluvial aquifer as a result of mining. 12 Revised 9/99