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small tributary of the North Fork of Bolton Draw. This spring feeds a small pond used for stock <br />and wildlife watering. No wells are located within the Upland Terrace Deposits. <br />The alluvium of the Canadian River is coarse-grained and supports agricultural through both <br />subirrigation and flood irrigation. Recharge to this aquifer is primazily from the river and the <br />numerous irrigation ditches which traverse the wide flood plain. The tributaries and the alluvium <br />of the tributaries which flow through the three mines contribute very little to recharge of the <br />Canadian River alluvium. This is due to the low contribution of surface flow (Williams Draw <br />Flowed for only 60 days in 1980) and the low permeability of the tributary's alluvium. <br />Mann Draw is located at the northwest comer of the permit area. Mann Draw is an ephemeral <br />drainage which contains alluvial groundwater, and flows largely in response to snowmelt and <br />localized precipitation events. Mann Draw is tributary to the Canadian River, 1.7 miles northeast <br />of the site. <br />The alluvium of Mann Draw is a poor aquifer consisting of fine-grained sand, silt and clay. The <br />alluvium in the azea of the Bourg Mine is thin (0 to 20 feet thick) and is restricted to narrow <br />bands pazalleling the stream course. <br />The principal sources of groundwater in the area are localized sandstones within shale <br />formations. Groundwater is present within the Coalmont Formation, primazily in the sandstone <br />between the Hoyle and Sudduth seams. Groundwater flow is from southeast to northwest and is <br />affected by local fault patterns. The outcrop zone of the Coalmont formation within the permit <br />area acts as a recharge area for the groundwater sources. <br />The alluvium of Sudduth, Williams and Bush Draws contain water table aquifers which are <br />highly variable in their aquifer chazacteristics. This is due to the lenticulaz and discontinuous <br />nature of the more permeable sands and gravels. The groundwater in these aquifers has high <br />salinity and total dissolved solids concentrations. The poor water quality is the result of leaching <br />of the marine Pierre Shale in the headwaters of these streams. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />Walden Coal Company ceased mining in 1987. Of the original 173 acres permitted for <br />disturbance, 100 acres were disturbed. Backfilling and final grade were achieved on 33 acres <br />known as the "East Dump" in 1983. Seeding was completed the last week of September 1984. <br />Backfilling and final grade were completed at the remainder of the mine site in early October of <br />1988. Seeding took place the following week. Grading and seeding on 4.5 acres at the Northgate <br />loadout were also completed in October of 1988. <br />Terrace benches were constructed to control erosion prior to revegetation establishment and aze <br />Bourg Strip Mine. C-81-021 10 August 4, 1998 <br />