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Exhibit 71 Hydrologic Charncterization South of the Divide Area and Monitoring Plan 5 <br />to the upper Dry Fork. Deep Creek water quality data collected to date do not indicate any mining related <br />impacts. The water quality data do, however, reflect natural seasonal variations with respect to levels of <br />manganese, pH, and TDS being elevated during spring runoff. <br />2.1.4 South Prong Creek <br />South Prong Creek is an ephemeral stream tributary to Minnesota Creek and is located upstream of Lick <br />Creek (Map 1). The north fork of South Prong Creek drainage drains the extreme southeast comer of the <br />SOD area and is well outside the mine panel area (-A.5 miles). As a result, mining related hydrologic <br />impacts from the PR-10 activities aze not anticipated in the South Prong Creek drainage area. <br />The north fork of the South Prong Creek watershed encompasses an area of about 0.5 square miles. The <br />drainage is about 0.1 miles long, extends from an elevation of approximately 8,400 feet to 7,800 feet, and <br />has an average gradient of about 10 percent. The north fork of South Prong Creek is a steep narrow <br />drainage with a limited alluvial valley floor. The incised channel restricts the width of alluvium. The <br />relatively steep stream gradient and the presence of sandstone outcrops limit the thickness and presence of <br />alluvium. The baseflow in this drainage originates from several springs. MCC began monitoring flows <br />and collecting water quality data in South Prong Creek in the spring of 2005. There aze not sufficient <br />water quality data to determine if there are any mining related impacts or natural seasonal water quality <br />variations at this site. <br />2.2 Stock Ponds, Springs, and Seeps <br />In July 2004 WWE completed a stock pond, spring and seep survey of the SOD area (WWE, 2005). The <br />boundaries of the W WE study area for this survey extended beyond the designated boundaries of the PR- <br />10 application area. Stock ponds were included in the survey results if they held water at least seasonally. <br />Stock ponds were not included if they were in disrepair and/or could no longer hold water. For survey <br />purposes, springs were defined as "areas where ground water issues for at least part of the year, and there <br />is observable flow". Seeps were defined as "areas where ground water saturates soils but do not have <br />flowing water". A total of 25 stock ponds, 16 springs, and 82 seeps were inventoried in the WWE SOD <br />study area during the WWE survey (WWE, 2005). Within the boundaries of the designated PR-10 area <br />there are: <br />• 12 stock ponds, 6 springs, and 30 seeps in the Dry Fork drainage; <br />• 2 stock ponds, 2 springs, and 17 seeps in the Lick Creek drainage; <br />• 0 stock ponds, 1 springs, and 1 seeps in the Deep Creek drainage; and <br />• 0 stock ponds, 0 springs, and 5 seeps in the north fork of S. Prang Creek. <br />Stock ponds in the SOD azea aze filled by natural surface water runoff or are fed by springs or seeps. <br />There aze three different types of springs and seeps in the SOD area, including those which issue from <br />alluvium, colluvium, and bedrock. Recent data indicate that about 65 percent of the springs and seeps <br />Apd12006 AydroGeo, !ne <br />