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_11_ This study has been prepared using information and analyses contained in the Bourg coal mine permit application, information and analyses contained in other permit applications of mines located in the general area, and other available information including site visitations by members of the Division's staff. Coal mining operations in the study area include: ti~~ 1. Walden Coal Company - Bourg Strip Mine ~y~,s ~ 2. Kerr Coal Company - Marr Strip ~~- 3. Wyoming Fuel Company -Canadian Strip ~"~`R' fie life-of~nine areas of all of these coal mines are located within the ~~pN S Canadian River watershed as shown on Figures 1 and 6. All mining operations ? in the general area are open pit strip mines. ~~ . ~he coal seams to be mined, the total area of surface disturbance during the 5-year permit period and life-ofanine period for each operation are tabulated /1 Q ~ i n Table 1 . The only mining facility not located within the Canadian River watershed is the Kerr Tipple. This tipple is located at the town of Walden and is in the Illinois River watershed. Due to its limited size, limited impacts, and the distance from the ma3or mining disturbances, the Kerr Tipple will be excluded from the Cumulative Fydrologic Impacts Study. This assessment is divided into three ma,)or subsections: 1) Description of the Fydrologic Environment, 2) Probable F~ydrologic Impacts of the Bourg Strip Mine, and 3) Cumulative Hydrologic Impacts of Mining Assessment. Description of the Iydrologic Environment Topography The North Park Coal Field is located within the Narth Park Basin, which is an intermountain basin bounded by the Medicine Bow Range to the east, the Park Range to the west, and the Rabbit Ears Range to the south. All of the coal mines noted earlier are located in the gently rolling hills of the interbasin. The maximum elevation in the area of the mines is 8,540 feet and the elevation at U.S. Geological Survey gaging station No. 06619450 (see Figure 2) is 7,930 feet. Climatology North Park has a cold desert climate. The average annual precipitation in the vicinity of the mine is 10 inches, 61S (6.0 inches) occurring as rain during the months of Mdy through September. The remaining 4 inches of precipitation occurs as snowfall during the months of October through April. The mean temperature at Walden, Colorado is 31.1oF and fluctuates between 15oF and 78oF. The average growing season is 102 days and the average number of frost-free days is 46.