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<br />A portion of the non-exempt AVF vas historically flood irrigated with a por <br />Lion subirrigaced and another portion potentially flood irrigable. Surface <br />water used to irrigate the non-exempted AVF vas diverted from the High:ine <br />Canal. Water '_a the Highline Canal is diverted from the Colorado River ap- <br />prozimate'_y one mile upstream from the disturbance and it will not be affected <br />by subsidence or by nine discharge. Discharge from the Roadside and Cameo <br />Piines will have a minor salt loading effect on the Colorado River by increa- <br />sing specific conductance aad total dissolved solids by O.7.z. This will have <br />a small effect on the eater supplying the subirrigaced portion of the AVF, <br />since recharge water from the river is the source of alluvial ground water. <br />During mining, the sediment control system will temporarily reduce surface <br />`loos, remove sediment loads and increase salt loads. Salt loading effects of <br />the sediment pond discharges are uaquantifiable at present since none of the <br />ponds have discharged. However, the comparatively minor quantities of dis- <br />charge from the ponds will result in a negligible effect on water quality of <br />the Colorado River. <br />The mini~ operations have already disturbed most of the alluvial valley floor <br />with construction of the overland conveyor and loadout facility and no addi- <br />tlonal disturbance is planned. The compa~ will be required to restore [he <br />essential hydrologic functions on the entire alluvial valley floor where dis- <br />turbance has occurred. The compa~ identified subirrigati~on and flood irriga- <br />tion as the essential hydrologic functions of the AVF. Previously, the High- <br />11ne Canal (which upslope of the AVF) has been the eater source for irrigating <br />a portion of the. AVF. No irrigation presently takes place in the site area <br />and sublrrigation is controlled by the eater level is the Colorado River. <br />Reclamation aad restoration of the essential hydrologic functions will *_nvolve <br />removing all facilities rega:-ding to the approximate original river terrace <br />topography, replacing topsoil and revegetating and restabillzing a flood irri- <br />gation system. Powderhorn Coal Company will monitor shallow ground water <br />levels at 3 piezometers locations and at one yell near the unit train loadout <br />facility. The vel'_ is located near the coal storage pile to monitor the <br />effects of leaching of the coal storage pile. Water levels will be taken aon- <br />thly, sad water quality samples will be collected on a quarterly basis from <br />the well. <br />-d- <br />