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• inflicted upon surface features. it ie reasonable to predict the degree of disturbance surrounding the proposed area will not be dissimilar to that encountered with the existing mine. ,Surface water: The groundwater from shallow alluvial aquifers that feed Fish Creek and the Fieh Creek Sandstone springs are hydrologically isolated from the groundwater affected by the mining disturbance. No significant impacts are anticipated to surface water from the proposed action. Ground Water: The Twentymile and Fieh Creek sandstone aquifers are expected to be protected by the Marine Shale Member from subsidence impacts. Mining of the Wedge seam will cause the Wedge overburden aquifer to be dewatered during mining and significantly fractured as a result of the post-mining subsidence. This ie not expected to be a eigniflcant impact because the Wedge overburden aquifer should remain isolated from other important aquifers. There will be no significant lose of water use since this water is currently considered suitable for only limited uses, and over time, the aquifer will likely reestablish as water flows back into the mined area. water Quality: The major area of water quality concern is associated with the inflows from the mine contributing inferior waters into the Fieh Creek stream system. TCC'e Foidel Creek Mine study, and work done by the USGS, indicate that the impairment of the water resource's quality will not be undue, nor unmanageable. The proposed action would not cause any additional degradation of water quality than that occurring from the operation of Foidel Creek Mine if the proposed lease was not issued. • Alluvial Valley Floors and Floodolaine There is no surface coal mining proposed for any lands within this proposed lease. While the northwestern moat corner of the proposed lease boundary includes a portion of the Fieh Creek AVF/floodplain, this land ie outside of the angle of draw and no subsidence is expected within the AVF or floodplain. Through examination of the maps provided by TCC, their proposed area of mining will not fall within 300 feet of Fieh Creek's main channel's eastern bank. Therefore, the AVF/floodplain unsuitability designation will not impinge upon their proposed mine plan. Soils Due to the nature of the disturbance, impairment of the soil resource as a result of the mine's proposed activity will 6e minimal. (See the section on environmental consequences for Vegetation). Vecetation No significant impacts are expected to occur to the vegetative resource ae a result of the proposed action. Areas of subsidence may create low spots in which water may pond, changing the soil moisture content. This could change the dominant vegetative community on these areas; however, these areas are expected to be limited in areal extent and would not alter the overall vegetative • regime. 13