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• • 3 No new water discharges are proposed in this revision. The approved mine permit includes provisions for discharges from sediment ponds resulting from storm water runoff, bathhouse discharges and potential mine water discharges. BRL is responsible for seeing that those discharges meet effluent limits in the mine's Colorado Discharge Permit, issued by the Colorado Water Quality Control Division. Our office has reviewed the projection of probable hydrologic consequences in the approved mine permit and made an assessment of the cumulative hydrologic impacts of coal mining in the North Fork. With regard to PR-02. The Division feels that the proposed mining operations are designed to prevent damage to the hydrologic balance outside the permit area, as required by the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Act. Changing mining methods from conventional to longwall mining is not expected to result in any water discharges or water quality impact not already assessed in the approved mine permit. Therefore, we do not foresee any damages to water users, including endangered fish species. The applicant must show that mine-caused subsidence will not affect groundwater hydrology. In particular, the mine applicant must show that there will be no impact to springs, seeps, or other natural flows that contribute to jurisdictional wetlands. Likewise, there should be no impact to private wells. Baseline data should be gathered prior to mining. The Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act does not prohibit subsidence impacts on ground water. Subsidence above underground coal mine inevitably affects ground water hydrology. The Act and the regulations promulgated under the Act do require mine operators to identify aquifers that might be impacted by mine subsidence. If aquifers, structures or, water rights may be impacted by subsidence, adequate plans must be provided to mitigate those impacts. In the case of the Bowie No. 2 Mine, the only aquifers above the mine identified by baseline studies were isolated perched aquifers. It is possible that some of the springs and seeps in the permit area derive some water.from these perched aquifers. Hovyever, baseline studies indicate that snowmelt in surficial colluvial deposits is a more likely source for most springs in the area. The baseline and subsidence studies in the approved mine permit indicate impacts to isolated perched aquifers will not need to be mitigated because those aquifers are of such limited extent and because their water is not used. The same studies indicate that springs fed by colluvial waters are either outside the zone of subsidence and/or are situated above sufficient overburden that the likelihood of their being impacted by subsidence is minimal. No areas qualifying as jurisdictional wetlands have been identified within the Bowie No. 2 mine permit.