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to confirm that the disturbance to the hydrologic balance within and adjacent <br />to the permit azea is minimized. <br />Stipulation 5 requires the inclusion of two alluvial monitoring wells on the <br />West Fork of Goodspring Creek. Support for the requirement to monitor <br />alluvial wells above and below the South Taylor Mining disturbance is found <br />at Rule 4.05.13(1)(c) as follows: <br />When surface or underground mining activities may affect ground water <br />systems on or off the permit area, ground water levels and ground water <br />quality shall be periodically monitored. Monitoring shall include <br />measurements from a sufficient number of wells or other ground water sources <br />as approved by the Division and mineralogical and chemical analyses of <br />aquifer, overburden, and spoil that are adequate to reflect changes in ground <br />water quantity and quality resulting from those activities. Monitoring shall be <br />adequate to plan for modification of surface or underground mining activities, <br />if necessary to minimize disturbance of the prevailing hydrologic balance. <br />As previously noted by the Division and confirmed by Colowyo, ground water <br />in the shallow alluvial aquifers of Good Spring Creek could be marginally <br />impacted by surface mining activities at South Taylor. Monitoring of the <br />stream segment is necessary to detect the extent of impact. This monitoring <br />allows the Division to ensure compliance with the general requirements as <br />stated in Rule 4.05.1(2) as stated below. <br />Changes in water quality and quantity, in the depth to ground water, and in the <br />location of surface water drainage channels shall be minimized so that the <br />approved postmining land use of the permit area is not adversely affected. <br />In addition to the general hydrologic monitoring requirements, the alluvial <br />valley floor requirements of Rule 4.24 aze applicable. Portions of the Good <br />Spring Creek valley within and adjacent to the permit area, downstream of <br />existing and proposed future operations aze currently flood irrigated. Ranchers <br />grow pasture grasses for hay and livestock forage production in the flood <br />irrigated fields. Numerous irrigation diversions (Map 17) exist on Goodspring <br />Creek immediately down-gradient of where the West Fork Good Spring Creek <br />flows into the main channel. A few wells and springs located along <br />Goodspring Creek are being used for stock watering. Due to the presence of <br />flood imgation along portions of the Goodspring Creek drainage (see Map 17), <br />as well as sufficient water for sub-irrigation, Good Spring Creek valley <br />deposits mapped as Qa on Map 11 A, extending from the West Fork Good <br />Spring Creek confluence downstream for the entire length of the valley have <br />been found by the Division to be alluvial valley floors. When an area is <br />designated as an alluvial valley floor, the Division is required to make a finding <br />on material damage. Due to the predicted increase in total dissolved solids to <br />levels in excess of the material damage suspect level for salinity due to mining <br />