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-9- <br />the water which is flowing in the associated stream. This effect will be most <br />profound adjacent to mining, and will lessen downstream as dilution with <br />unaffected water increases. <br />The Quarternary upland terraces are erosional remnants of Canadian River <br />alluvium. Aquifer characteristics are similar to present day alluvium, <br />however, the water supply to these terraces is precipitation dependant. <br />A spring in Section 22, T9N, R78W, has been identified by the permittee as <br />issuing from these unconsolidated deposits. This spring will be affected by <br />mining. This spring, which feeds a stack pond, issues from the contact of the <br />Quaternary Terrace Deposits and an underlying shale (Coalmont Formation (?)). <br />The Kerr mining plan calls for removing terrace deposit materials associated <br />with the spring. This will occur when pit number 3 is mined. Kerr Coal <br />Company expects no change in the quantity and quality of the flow from this <br />spring. However, in order to alleviate BLM and Mined Land Reclamation <br />concerns Kerr Coal Company has agreed to monitor the quantity and quality of <br />water in the spring on page 780-109bbbb of the original permit application, <br />and to replace the supply of water if it is impacted. <br />The Sudduth Coal seam is identified by the permittee as being the only rock <br />unit in the mine plan and adjacent areas, which may be classified as an <br />aquifer. The aquifer characteristics presented in the original permit <br />application (Table 9, Exhibit 54; pages 779-30 as and bb) substantiate this <br />assertion. <br />Limited perched aquifers may be found in other members of the Coalmont <br />Formation. Kerr Coal Company has completed a water supply well in a <br />lenticular sandstone within the Coalmont Formation. This well is the only <br />permitted well under Colorado water law in the vicinity of mining operations. <br />The probable hydrologic consequences of mining to the Sudduth Coal aquifer <br />include: <br />Dewatering of the coal seam in the vicinity of mining activities; <br />2. The quality of water which perculates through the backfilled pits and <br />eventually recharges unmined Sudduth Coal is expected to be poor. <br />3. Kerr Coal will mine through a spring near the Old Sudduth Mine <br />(Section 15, T9N, R78W). This non-adjudicated spring discharges from the <br />Sudduth Coal, and is of very poor quality (High TDS). <br />Presently, there is no beneficial use of ground water associated with the <br />Sudduth Coal aquifer. The dewatering of the coal seam in the vicinity of <br />mining operations will have no impact to local water users. Furthermore, the <br />confining nature of the overburden and underburden will prevent large <br />quantities of water from flowing into or out of the backfilled pits. <br />The quality of water in the reestablished Sudduth Coal aquifer will be poor. <br />Leaching tests and field observations from other mine sites indicated that <br />this water will be a sodium-sulfate to sodium/magnesium-sulfate type, and will <br />