PERMFILE64130

• Permit No: C1981042
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 2/17/1981
• Section_Exhibit Name: APPLICATION ‎(1981)‎
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

B. Geology. The coal deposits on applicant's lands are
• more or less tabular beds lying at slightly inclined dips.
Minable coal seams occur over a stratigraphic interval of 150
feet. Depth of overburden ranges from 200 feet to about 600
feet. Map A shows the location of the Menefee formation and
Point Lookout sandstone formation with indication of strike
and dip of outcrops, fault and relative movement, direction
of percent dip of Menefee - Lookout contacts as well as
anticline and syncline axes insofar as the same affect appli-
cant's premises. Attached hereto as Exhibit "G" is the
summary of drill hole data obtained in October through December,
1976 showing the Menefee-Cliffhouse contact, Menefee-Point
Lookout contact, contact of first moisture and the interval
of sandstone-shale recognizable and referred to as division
sandstone.
12. Ground Water Information. The ground water domain
encompassing applicant's coal J.ands is restricted strati-
graphically to the coal bearing Menefee formation and the
underlying Point Lookout sandstone. (refer to Map A). Most
of the water wells south of applicant's lands are drilled
into the Menefee or through its contact with the Point Lookout.
The domain is bounded by Lightner Creek Canyon which trends
across the northern part of the property area. Wells and
ground waters in Lightner Creek are for the most part in
stream or bench gravels which are replenished by the surface
• and subsurface flow of Lightner Creek. The Menefee and Point
Lookout dip away from Lightner Creek to the south, hence
.ground waters of these formations are not tributary to Lightner
Creek. The proposed coal mining operations will not normally
disturb or penetrate aquifers in either the Menefee or the
Point Lookout. Mining will be restricted to coal seams;
strata overlying or underlying the coal will be disturbed as
little as possible to avoid diluting the mined coal and
reducing its market value. Similarly, the Point Lookout and
its contact with the Menefee, and any related aquifers will
not be disturbed by the coal mining process. The lowest coal
seam of the Menefee is 5 to 20 feet above the top of the
Point Lookout member.
Lithologic units underlying or overlying the coal seams
may have aquifer characteristics, and if they are exposed as
the coal is extracted, may seep water into the opening. The
main increment of this water movement would be vertical and
across the direction of the best permeability. Therefore,
the seepage will not normally be significant. This is
especially true in the northern part of the property where
potential aquifers are poorly saturated. Past mining opera-
tions were all relatively dry except for a portion of the
mines. However, water has been encountered in pit excavation
as more fully described in Section 13 below.
Based on information gained by exploratory drilling of
the Menefee and its coal deposits, definite piezometric
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