GENERAL33297

• Permit No: M1983194
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Name: COVER SHEET 3 TEXT CHANGES TO DRAFT EIS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

3. TEXT CHANGES
on sparse water quality data from only a few wells and
is not inclusive of all samples taken from the area. Samples
have only been taken for a very short period of time;
therefore, it is not possible to show how groundwater quality
on the leases might naturally Fluctuate over time.
3.4.4 Water Uses and Water Rights
Presently, the major water use in the Piceance Basin is
irrigation. About 4,400 acres are irtigated annually, diverting
about 33,790 acre-feet per year in the Piceance Basin (Kuiper
et a1.1978). This number exceeds annual stream flow because
of the large amount of return flow from irrigation usage.
Livestock, wildlife, and limited domestic uses are the only
other water uses in the basin. Within a 5-mile radius of
the proposed web field are 22 vested water right holdings,
14 in Yellow Creek and its associated tributaries and 8
in Piceaoce Creek drainages. These are made up of ] 0 alluvial
wells (or domestic and livestock usage, one reservoir storage
right, four springs, and seven ditch diversions for irrigation
purposes. In addition, one well, which is completed in the
lower aquifer, has been filed on for livestock watering use.
A final decree for appropriated rights Gom this well has
not yet been issued by the State of Colorado.
Other water rights held by [he existing water users are
a significant number of industrial water rights obtained by
various parties because of the projected need for large
amounts o(wa[er for the development of oil shale. Industrial
Resources, loc., holds several water right allocations on and
off the leases in the forth of groundwater, storage, and Flow
rights. All of these rights are associated with [he development
of Wolf Ridge Corporation's leases.
BLM recommends that the groundwaters within the
sodium lease boundaries and those waters encompassed by
the cone of depression caused from pumping of the water
supply wells be classified as "Agricultural Use-Quality" in
accordance with "The Basic Standards for Groundwater"
(Colorado Water Quality Control Commission 1987).
3.4.5 Alluvial Valley Floors and Floodpktins
Although the exact extent of alluvial valley floors within
the sodium leases has not been determined, approximately
80 amen collectively in Yellow Creek and Stake Springs
Draw may meet the definition of an alluvial valley Boor.
Floodplains within the lease area occur along portions
of Stake Springs Draw, Coital Gulch, Yellow Creek, and
on a small unnamed tributary that Flows into Yellow Creek.
The potential for flash flooding exists throughout the area,
resulting from snowmelt and high intensity localized
thunderstorms. The mine site and support facilities are
lopted on ridgetops and will not be inundated by potential
Bonds, nor will mine operations impact these floodplains.
Page 3-17
(11)
Column I, paragraph 7, sentence 2: "...project area,
which are ...." should read: "...project area along
Yellow Creek, which are ...:'
Page 3-22
(14)
Column 1, paragraph 3, sentence 3: "...nests is located
...." should read: "...nests are located ...:'
(14)
Column 1, paragraph 8, sentence l: "...perennial aquatic
habitats ...." should read: "...perennial wetland habitats
(14)
Column 1, paragraph 8, sentence 2: "... sustain a very
limited ...April to May." should read: "...sustain a
limited ...April to May. Small number of water[owl may
remain on these creeks during the winter months, but ice
buildup usually precludes use beyond mid-January :'
(14)
Column 1, paragraph 8, sentence 3: "Aquatic habitat
suitable ...:'should read: "Habitat suitable ...:'
(14)
Column 2, paragraph 1, sentence 1: "...and sagebrush
ranges throughout ... "should read: "...and sagebrush
ranges, and riparian-wetland associations throughout .. .
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