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-19- <br />water. The decreased recharge of the reclaimed area will not affect water use <br />on- or off-site since no wells are completed in, and no springs emanate from, <br />these affected strata in the permit and adjacent areas. The degraded spoil <br />water quality will not affect water use or surface water quality within the <br />permit and adjacent areas. The only regional aquifers which will be affected <br />by degraded spoil water are the Sudduth coal seam and the Upper Sandstone <br />member of the Pierre Shale. Both of these aquifers have low permeabilities <br />and the migration of ground water high in TDS from the spoil aquifer will be <br />extremely slow. Movement of ground water within these aquifers wi]1 be down <br />the dip of the strata toward the axis of the Bourg Syncline. Due to the lower <br />infiltration rate, very low precipitation rate (i.e., 11 inches/year), the <br />increased storage capacity of the spoil aquifer, and the relative absence of <br />springs or seeps from coal or the sandstone member in the permit and adjacent <br />areas. The degradation of surface waters from spoil water seeps or springs is <br />not anticipated. <br />During the spring, Bourg experienced ground water flaws of 3000 gpd, from an <br />unknown source, into the pit. The inflow into the pit did not appear to be <br />coming from Mann Draw. The groundwater did not appear until the pit was well <br />below the level of Mann Draw. The water from the pit was pumped into sediment <br />ponds A, B, and C. The flow ceased when the operator backfilled the portion <br />of the pit where the inflow was located. <br />Cumulative f{ydrologic Impacts Study <br />Effects on Surface Waters <br />The Bourg Strip Mine, the Marr Strip and the Canadian Strip are all located on <br />the southwestern half of the Canadian River Watershed. As such, their <br />combined mining and reclamation activities will impact to some degree the <br />quality and quantity of surface waters in the Canadian River. In addition, <br />the Marr and Canadian Strips will cumulatively impact the quality and quantity <br />of surface water in Bolton Draw. <br />The three mines within the North Park Coal Field wilt cumulatively impact the <br />quantity and quality of surface water in three ways. These include; 1) <br />changes in runoff and erosion rates; 2) increases in salt loads to the <br />Canadian River and its tributaries; and 3) changes in the ionic balance of <br />surface waters. The following discussion is a worst case scenario which <br />assumes all mining occurs at the same time. <br />1. Runoff and Erosion <br />Durin minin ,disturbed areas will be susceptible to erosion and <br />runo T s is mitigated by respective sediment control systems. <br />Sediment control cannot be removed until revegetation is successful and <br />erosion rates drop to natural levels. <br />While the sediment ponds are present, they will reduce runoff to the <br />receiving streams to the following extent: <br />