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The water table in the permit area and adjacent area can be directly <br /> correlated to the elevation of the Colorado River. Rock formations and <br /> alluvium below the level of the river are gravity fed and are saturated with <br /> water from the river. Due to the clastic differentiation and lensing of <br /> sandstones and shales in the area together with the low permeability of the <br /> rock, the strata above the zone of saturation act to confine the body of <br /> ground water. Therefore , the water table is located at approximately the same <br /> elevation as the Colorado River. <br /> This fact is important when attempting to define the hydrologic impact on the <br /> water-bearing strata (aquifers) by the mine operation (see the Probable <br /> Hydrologic Consequences section of this document Section B. II . ) . There are <br /> four major aquifers that may be directly or indirectly affected by the mine <br /> operation. These are: the Colorado River alluvium, the undifferentiated <br /> sandstone lenses in the Mesaverde above the coal seam, the Cameo coal seam, <br /> and the Rollins sandstone unit below the coal seam. <br /> There are no aquifers in this area that can store and transmit water of <br /> sufficient quality or quantity for beneficial use. Laboratory analysis has <br /> shown the water to be high in salts and of poor quality. Therefore , no <br /> beneficial uses of groundwater exist in the Roadside southern permit area or <br /> adjacent area. No ground water rights have been adjudicated on or adjacent to <br /> the permit area to date . Only one ground water alluvial well exists adjacent <br /> to the permit area and is used for stock watering purposes . <br /> Please refer to Section B. II .K. (Probable Hydrological Consequences) for <br /> further hydrologic information, including the ground water monitoring plan . <br /> Additional information on hydrology can be found in Section 2 .04.7 , <br /> pages 52-91 , of the permit and Section B. II . of this document. <br /> Surface Water Hydrology <br /> A general description of the surface water hydrology of the permit area is <br /> found beginning on page 64 of the permit application. Maps displaying the <br /> general surface water hydrology are found in Exhibits 1 and 17 of that <br /> document. Please see Section B. II , of this document for a discussion of the <br /> Probable Hydrologic Consequences (PHC) of the Roadside and Cameo Mines on <br /> surface water quantity and quality and for a further discussion of the surface <br /> water monitoring plan . Alluvial valley floors (AVF' s) are discussed in <br /> Section B.XI . of this document. <br /> The Colorado River is the only perennial stream that flows through the permit <br /> area. On the west side of the river, Coal Creek and Jerry Creek flow through <br /> the Cameo portion of the permit area within deeply incised canyons draining <br /> approximately 12 and 70 square miles , respectively. Coal Creek passes through <br /> surface mine disturbance near the Cameo Mine where the channel has been <br /> diverted. In addition, a small portion of the permit area drains to Asbury <br /> Creek to the north . Flows in all of these drainages occur primarily during <br /> spring snowmelt and in response to sudden, high intensity thunderstorms , the <br /> later of which are characterized by high peak discharges , short flow durations <br /> and high sediment loads . <br /> On the east side of the river , the Roadside Mine will undermine two additional <br /> canyons : Rapid Creek and Cottonwood Creek. Both creeks are intermittent <br /> -7- <br />