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West Elk Mine • 2.04.7(1, Surface Water information This section describes the surface water resources located in or near the pemut azea. The surface water in the permit azea is expressed in four ways: 1. Streams 2. Springs 3. Reservoirs and Stock Ponds 4. Wetlands Streams Several drainage systems have their headwaters on or flow through the West Elk Mine coal lease azea. All of the streams draining the azea aze tributary to the North Fork of the Gunnison River (North Fork). Sylvester Gulch, Lone Pine Gulch, Gribble Gulch, Box Canyon, and unnamed tributaries aze ephemeral streams draining the northern portion of the coal lease area directly into the North Fork. Additionally, a portion of Deep Creek, which joins Raven Gulch before entering the North Fork, overlies the permit azea. Minnesota Creek and its tributazies drain the southern portion of the coal lease area, which has been designated as the South of Divide area in reference to the drainage divide separating Minnesota Creek from the North Fork • tributaries. Although all watersheds in the permit azea aze tributary to the North Fork, in this document, a distinction is made between those that drain directly into the North Fork and those which enter Minnesota Creek before reaching the North Fork. A summary of drainage basin characteristics is found in Table 8, which identifies basic physical chazacteristics of the lease area watersheds. Map 34 delineates the gaged basins within the West Elk Mine coal lease azea. The North Fork is the ultimate receiving stream for all drainages on the West Elk Mine coal lease area. The North Fork watershed encompasses significant high-mountain drainages to the east of the mine, which generate the majority of the streamflow measured at the USGS gage near Somerset. The ephemeral streams within the permit azea provide incidental contributions to the flow in the North Fork. The majority of streams in the permit area aze ephemeral, flowing only in response to snowmelt or intense rainfall, with the exception of Deep Creek, a perennial stream which crosses the southeast part of the permit area. Physical properties of these drainage basins aze summarized in Table 8. The Minnesota Creek watershed drains most of the southern portion of the coal lease area (see Map 34). The majority of the flow in Minnesota Creek originates from the perennial tributaries with their headwaters neaz the peak of Mount Gunnison. Although several tributaries flow 2.04-76 Revised November 2004 PRIG