REV95813

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Revision
• Doc Name: MINING AND RECLAMATION PLAN MT GUNNISON 1 MINE
• Type & Sequence: TR56
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

MINING AND RECLAMATION PLAN April, 1987
MT. GUNNISON NO. 1 MINE Revised October, 1989
• These windows will allow WECC to decrease the probability that an
event would be missed. It will also allow WECC to respond to an
unusual event.
West Elk Coal Company has selected these water quality parameters
for routine measurement because they are most commonly associated
with coal mining impact on water quality. Any changes in water
quality that could be expected to mobilize any of the metals would
cause iron or manganese to be mobilized in readily detectable
quantities. Additionally, changes in conductivity and total
dissolved solids will indicate changes in water quality that need
to be further investigated. As a result, monitoring of these
selected parameters will provide a clear detection system for any
mining induced changed in water quality.
A key to using these parameters as a detection system for mining
related changes in water quality is the timeliness of the analyses.
To insure that water quality analyses are available in a timely
fashion, WECC will either perform field analyses, or send samples
to a lab that can provide analysis within a reasonable amount of
time of their receipt of the samples. As soon as possible after
the analyses are available to WECC, the results will be entered
into a computer program which generates minimum and maximum values
for each resource. Data which fall outside these values are
rejected and the respective sites resampled. Analyses will be
• completed as outlined in the Division's "Guidelines for Collection
of Baseline Water Quality and Overburden Geochemistry Data."
The results of this analysis will be compared to existing baseline
water quality data to determine the exact nature of the change in
water quality. Once the nature of the change in water quality is
identified, the source of the change in water quality will be
identified. At that time, WECC will advise CMLRD of the nature and
extent of the changes in water quality, the source or sources of
the change in water quality and, if required, WECC's plan to
mitigate the problem.
WECC, in cooperation with the U.S. ~ores~ Service DistYict office
in Paonia, Colorado, has agreed to informally monitor the U.S.
Forest Service surface water resources, as depicted on the U.S.
Forest Service Water Resources Map, that are located directly over
panels to be subsided. WECC will also continue to monitor stations
as previously agreed with the State Engineer for the Water
Augmentation Plan.
4.9.2 Sorinq Monitoring
In 1977, WECC began a spring water monitoring program that
incorporated monthly, quarterly and semi-annual monitoring of flow
and/or water quality. Exhibit 2.S.1.B, Location of Springs,
depicts the springs identified on the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine lease
• area; Exhibit 2.S.1.C.1, Locations of WElls and Gaging Stations,
identifies the monitored springs; Exhibit 2.8.1.E, Water Quality
Sampling Locations, identifies the springs sampled for water
quality; Exhibit 2.8.1.F, Approximate Locations of Decreed
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