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March 7998 Slump Investigation and Mitigation Report ~ Page S <br />3.0 SUMMARY OF HYDROGEOLOGY <br />The mine permit area generally lies within the Hayden Gulch watershed, which is struc[urally <br />between the Sand Wash Basin and the White River Uplih (Grose, 1972). Geologic strata in this <br />region dip predominantly to the northeast from 4 to 8 degrees. The geologic forma ions <br />consist of several sedimentary units including the Lewis Fork Formation overlying the <br />Williams Fork formation, which in turn overlies the Iles Formation. The mined coal units and <br />the former highwall were within the Williams Fork formation. <br />The Williams Fork formation includes a 600-foot upper unit and a 1,000 foot lower unit. The <br />upper unit consists of the five mined coal units interbedded with siltstones, mudstones, and <br />sandstones. The lower unit consists of marine shale, sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, shale and <br />coal seams. At the base of the upper unit, approximately 200 to 300 feet below the mined zone, <br />is the massive Twentymile sandstone. Underlying the lower unit is the massive 100-foot thick <br />Trout Creek sandstone, which is part of the Iles Formation. <br />The principal water-bearing zones in the vicinity of the mine are recent alluvial deposits, coal <br />beds, and the massive Twentymile and Trout Creek sandstone units. The Twentymile and <br />Trout Creek sandstone units constitute significant regional aquifers and are present below the <br />coal seams mined at the Hayden Gulch Coal Mine. In the permi[ area, groundwater flows to <br />the northeast (Morrison-Knudsen, 1980). Recharge primarily comes from rainwater saturating <br />the units where they outcrop just [o the south of the permit area. <br />A regional seep and spring survey performed in 1980 (Morrison-Knudsen, 1980), revealed the <br />presence of several seeps or springs adjacent to the valley floors in the vicinity of the Hayden <br />Gulch Coal Mine; none were observed in the vicinity of the slump. However, in [he 1991 <br />Annual Reclamation Report, there is reference to a spring monitoring point RSP-5 chat was <br />apparently located approximately 200 feet downhill of the slump (HGCC, 1992). In 1991 and <br />subsequent years, the spring was reported as dry. The area around [he spring was apparently <br />regraded which may have blocked off or buried the source of the spring. This indicated that <br />water may have discharged higher up on the hillsides prior to mine development and <br />reclamation. <br />Mozztgo>nery Watson Americas * PO. Boz 774018 "Steamboat Springs, Colorado "80477 (970J 879-6260 <br />R`dA~9.mp Nmt•nan~L.mp Repon <br />1/}1/9H dv <br />