GENERAL31521 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

-31- B. Surface Water The applicant has provided a discussion of the probable hydrologic consequences of the proposed operation to the surface water hydrologic systems. Several possible effects on the surface water system have been identified: 1) Increased runoff and erosion within the proposed permit area during operation; 2) Increased sediment load in drainages within the proposed permit area during operations; 3) Temporary increased salt loading in streams draining the proposed permit area; 4) Along-tens change in the ion balance of surface water drainage in the permit and adjacent area; and 5) Temporary changes in the flow regime of Foidel Creek. The proposed underground operations are an amendment to the previously approved surface mine application Permit No. 79-177 for Energy Mines No. 1, 2 and Eckman Park. Both operations would share certain runoff and sediment control facilities. Three possible hydrologic effects, items 1, 2 and 4, would result primarily from the previously approved surface mining operations, and need not be considered further in this discussion. The main surface water effects of the proposed underground mining operations would be a temporary change in the flow regime of Foidel Creek, and a temporary increase in the salt loading of streams draining the proposed permit area. In addition to these effects identified in the application, mining operations could indirectly decrease surface flows in fish Creek during operations by intercepting ground water now discharging to the stream/alluvial aquifer system, and following operations, by discharging water of degraded quality to the stream/alluvial aquifer system. These effects are discussed below. Water from the underground workings and from the wash-bay spoils well will be discharged to Foidel Creek during the mining operation. The discharge from the mine workings is expected to contain moderately high levels of dissolved salts and will elevate the salt load of the stream to levels higher than the baseline condition upstream from the underground mine. Data from monitoring records at underground mines in the region indicate that effluent from the underground mine will have a concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) of approximately 800 mg/1. Documentation of this estimate, as well as other parameters in underground mine discharge, are derived from monitoring conducted during the operation of the Middle Creek Mine, an underground mine which produced coal from the Wadge seam in 1979 and 1980. A full-suite analysis of the discharge (p. 2.05-55a) from the Middle Creek Mine is listed below.