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• July 1993 -37- 923-2515 <br />7.0 MATERIAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT <br />There are no flood irrigated agricultural fields in alluvial material along Grassy Creek, Unnamed <br />Draw, Annand Draw, and Scotchmans Gulch. A small portion of an agricultural field, located <br />neaz the confluence of Annand Draw and Scotchmans Gulch, is the only subirrigated field in the <br />study area in crop production. A material damage assessment of the 12 acre subirrigation <br />portion of this field, which is not an AVF, follows. <br />The entire field and the 12 acre portion is alternately planted to wheat and bazley and cropped <br />two out of three yeazs (Hockett 1993). According to the ASCS data (Daughenbaugh 1992) this <br />large field of which includes the 12 acres of subirrigation produces 26 bushels per acre of wheat <br />and 32 bushels per acre of barley. There are no data specific to the 12 acre portion of the larger <br />• field. However, Hockett (1993), the owner, estimates the productivity to be 10-15% less than <br />the portion of the field at higher elevations due to the high water table and alkaline conditions. <br />Adjusted productivity values for the 12 acre portion of the field are 22.1 to 23.4 bushels per acre <br />of wheat and 27.2 to 28.8 bushels per acre of bazley. <br />Future mine outflows may increase the total dissolved solids ('TDS) of the ground water causing <br />a decrease in agricultural productivity. The background conductivity is 4.07 mmhos/cm from <br />site WRD-1, immediately down drainage from the grain field. The projected TDS of the ground <br />water is 3500 mg/1 (Smith 1993), which converts to 4.8965 mmhos/cm or a 27% increase in <br />TDS. The predicted TDS value is a measurement of the alluvial water from the Spoil Spring <br />and Spoil Well site of the nearby Seneca mine. Because of the proximity of the Seneca Mine, <br />similar topography, geology, and climate, the TDS value is believed to be a good estimate of <br />the change in alluvial water expected from the Yoast mine. <br />~J <br />Golder Associates <br />