GENERAL31233 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Currently, the water monitoring plan for the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine - Minnesota Creek drainage includes: 1) continuous flow monitoring from stream gages located on Horse Creek, South Prong, Lick Creek, Upper Dry Fork, Lower Dry Fork, Minnesota Creek above Dry Fork, and East Fork outflow from Beaver Reservoir which includes daily flow and maximum, minimum, and mean flows for each month; 2) monthly measurement of water quality (including pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and electrical conductivity) at gaging stations of all streams previously mentioned, except for East Fork outfl ow from Beaver Reservoir; 3) monthly measurement of flow on five springs in the north half of the Dry Fork Minnesota Creek basin; 4) monthly measurement of precipitation at the Horse Creek storage gage; and, 5) three new alluvial monitoring wells in the alluvium of Dry Fork tinnesota Creek. The intensity of hydrologic monitoring for surface and ground water in the Minnesota Creek drainage is adequate for. the next (second) 5-year permit term. Therefore, the application is in compliance with the requirements of this section. Amore intensive monitoring program will need to be developed prior to any mining within the Minnesota Creek drainage basin. 4. The surface coal mining operation would not materially damage the quantity and quality of water in surface and underground water systems that supply those alluvial valley floors or portions of alluvial valley floors (Rule 2.06.8(5)). The revised mining plan, subsidence protection plan, and augmentation plan for the Minnesota Creek drainage will insure that water supplying those AVF's presently identified will not be diminished in quantity or quality. IX. PROBABLE HYDROLOGIC CONSEQUENCES OF MINING AND CUMULATIVE HYDROLOGIC IMP S - S an c This Cumulative Hydrologic Impact Study (CHIS) for the drainage basin of the North Fork of the Gunnison River has been prepared by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division (CMLRD) pursuant to Rule 2.07.6(2)(c). This CHIS assesses the probable cumulative hydrologic impacts of all anticipated coal mining operations upon the general area of the North Fork of the Gunnison River Valley including the proposed construction of the lower waste pile. Also included in this assessment are all existing coal mines and those proposed coal mines for which permit applications have been submitted to the Division. This study has been prepared using information and analyses contained in the Mt. Gunnison Mine permit application, information and analyses contained in other permit applications for mines located in the general area and other available information including site visitation by members of the Division staff. 27