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seven-tenths of a percent of the Munger Canyon drainage will be impacted <br />by the operation. Although increases in concentrations of total <br />dissolved solids (TDS) and total suspended solids (TSS) are expected to <br />result from the disturbance, the areal comparison indicates that the <br />significance of the increases in TDS would be diminished due to dilution, <br />and TSS will be controlled by sediment ponds. Furthermore, once the <br />runoff from the Munger watershed reaches the East Salt Creek Valley, the <br />impact would be diminished further. The disturbance due to the portion <br />of the operation situated in Munger Canyon only accounts for <br />five-hundredths of a percent of the total drainage area of East Salt <br />Creek above the confluence with Munger Canyon (67,223 acres). A similar <br />relationship with respect to dilution occurs for the portion of the <br />operation situated along the East Salt Creek drainage (87 acres). This <br />accounts for approximately 0.12 percent of the total drainage area of <br />East Salt Creek below the confluence with Munger Canyon (72,373 acres). <br />There is a potential for the operation to deplete the quantity of flow in <br />Munger Creek and East Salt Creek. This potential is slight. Water <br />stored in impoundments will always be less than two acre-feet per <br />structure and there are only six structures. The ponds will also be <br />dewatered to the required storage capacity following any major storm <br />event, thereby returning stored runoff to the system. Additionally, <br />precipitation in the area is so low (8.8 inches annually) that it is <br />expected that very little to no water will be stored in the impoundments <br />most of the time. <br />Very little ground water was encountered during exploratory drilling and <br />around the permit area. Salt Creek Mining Company does not expect to <br />have discharge mine water as a result of consistent inflow into the <br />mine. Some depletion of surface water by infiltration into the mine <br />workings through natural and mine-induced fractures may occur. The <br />amount of depletion would be minor due to the steep local topography and <br />low precipitation. The slope varies from 2v:lh to 6v:lh. <br />The very low amount of surface water runoff that does occur is <br />concentrated in periods of snowmelt and thunderstorm events. These <br />events produce short duration, high volume runoffs which, when coupled <br />with the steep topography, greatly favors surface water runoff over the <br />infiltration of water. <br />No wells or springs were identified in Munger Canyon and no ground water <br />rights have been adjudicated within a three-mile radius of the Munger <br />Canyon Mine. There is, therefore, no potential for damage to the quality <br />and quantity of ground water in the mine plan and general areas. <br />The Loma loadout is situated within the D&RGW Railroad right-of-way. It <br />occupies an area historically used for loading sugar beets onto railroad <br />cars. The area of the loadout is approximately 5.6 acres. <br />All surface water from the loadout will be contained on-site. Due to the <br />low precipitation experienced in the area (8.8 inches annually), minimal <br />accumulations of runoff at the site are expected. <br />_29_ <br />