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Mountains. The average annual rainfall for the area is eleven inches. The major soil moisture recharge and runoff periods occur during the snowfall and subsequent thawing times of the winter and spring. Climatologic records indicate increased precipitation during the summer months; however, due to increased evapotranspirational effects during this warmer period, there is less impact to soil moisture levels. The mine plan area is drained by ephemeral and intermittent stream systems. Starting at the north end of the permit area and proceeding southward, one finds the Sudduth, Williams, Bush and Bolton Draws. The Marr Strip drainage systems roughly parallel each other and flow to the northeast where they join with the Canadian River, approximately one mile east of the permit area. In the tipple area the Illinois River has a base flow rate of about 6 cubic feet per second (c.f.s.) and a recorded 100-year flood discharge of 2,970 cfs. The Illinois River has its source in the Never Summer Range to the southeast. The Illinois River, after it passes the tipple area, flows in a northwest direction bypassing the town of Walden on the southwest. Approximately one mile northwest of Walden the Illinois and Michigan Rivers merge and flow northward to merge with the Canadian River. Just to the east of the tipple area, a stagnant pond expresses the groundwater level. This water level is very near to the original land surface. The water level in this pond is maintained by the Illinois River water infiltration through the alluvium and from snowmelt and thundershowers. The water in the pond is predominately a calcium and bicarbonate type that is alkaline in nature and low in dissolved and suspended loads. Soils of the Marr mine areas are predominately sandy clay loam and clay textures (Table 42a in the permit application). The 720 Pit soils consisted of mainly Coalmont clay, Aaberg-Barishmen complex clays, and areas of very minor Fluetsch sandy clay loams. The Coalmont soils are classified as fine, montmorillonitic Borollic Paleargids. The Aaberg and Barishmen soils are gine, montmorillonitic Borollic Camborthids and fine, montmorillonitic Borollic Paleargids, respectively. Fluetsch soils are classified as fine-loamy, mixed Borollic Haplargids. All of these soils have high clay contents. The Pit 1 soils consisted of Coalmont clays and Cryorthents (clayey in this case) with all soils having clay percentages of 50 or more. Pit 2 soils consist of Coalmont sandy clay loams and Cryorthents with surface clay overlain on sandy clay subsoil. Pit 3 soils are mainly Gelkie sandy clay loamy (fine-loamy, mixed Argic Cryoborolls), Fluetsch sandy clay loams and Morset sandy clay loams (fine-loamy, mixed Argic Cryoborolls). Some minor amounts of Coalmont sandy clay loams also occur in the Pit 3 area. Topsoil suitability ratings are listed in Table 43a of the Permit Application. In general, all soils in the Pit 1 area are rated poor as topsoil sources because of high clay content. Pit 2 soils are rated good except for Cryorthents which are rated as poor because of the high clay content (surface soil) or high SAR (subsoil). Pit 3 soils are generally rated as good topsoil Marr Strip Mine, C-80-006 9 December 9, 1992