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Pursuant to Rule 2.06.8(5)(iii), the Division finds that the proposed <br />surface coal mining and reclamation operation will preserve, throughout <br />the mining and reclamation process, the essential hydrologic functions of <br />the alluvial valley floor. <br />VIII. Water Rights and Replacement - Rules 2.04.7(3), 2.05.6(3)(a)(ii <br />Portions of the application relevant to surface and ground water rights <br />in the vicinity of the mine have been submitted to the Office of the <br />State Engineer, Division of Water Resources. The State Engineer's Office <br />has determined that there are no problems with the operation with respect <br />to water rights. <br />Page 4-15 of Volume I of the application contains information on water <br />rights in he vicinity of the operation. The applicant states that no <br />ground water rights have been adjudicated within a three mile radius of <br />the permit area. No information is supplied with respect to surface <br />water rights. <br />The applicant has secured rights for 10 cfs discharge from the Mack <br />Pumping Pipeline for use at the mine. Total consumptive use projected <br />for the mine is less than .07 cfs (see page 2-27) or 51 acre-feet per <br />year. <br />IX. Probable Hydrologic Consequences and Cumulative Impacts Assessment <br />The McClane Canyon Mine will have very limited impact on the surface and <br />ground water hydrology of the hydrologically adjacent area. Any impacts <br />on surface water quantity and quality will be limited due to the small <br />area of the drainage impacted by the operation. Because the operation <br />may only exist for this second three year permit term, impacts will also <br />be limited with respect to time. <br />The surface disturbance in McClane Canyon will have very little impact on <br />water quantity and quality of East Salt Creek. Only .Ol% of the drainage <br />area contributing to the flow at the confluence of McClane Canyon and <br />East Salt Creek will be affected by the operation. The disturbance of <br />less than 1% of the contributing drainage area is insignificant in itself <br />and will have a minimal impact on the hydrologic characteristics of the <br />East Salt Creek system. Runoff contained within the sedimentation system <br />will be insignificant with respect to flow in East Salt Creek. Water <br />will be retained within the sedimentation pond until it meets NPDES <br />effluent standards. <br />Impacts on ground water could occur in two ways; 1) through the effect of <br />the mine workings on saturated strata, and 2) through the effect of the <br />surface disturbance on alluvial ground water in East Salt Creek. In <br />either case, the mine is not expected to have a significant effect on <br />-16- <br />