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ground water quantity or quality. Drilling in and around the permit area has indicated that there is little water associated with strata within or near the mine zone. Occurrences of ground water within and adjacent to the permit area are discussed in detail in the Ground Water Hydrology Section of this findings document. As discussed under the AVF section of this findings document, water has been seeping into the mine following extension of the workings eastward to the east fault and northeast down the dip of the coal seam. Information submitted by the applicant indicates that from July, 1982 the water seeping into the mine gradually increased and reached a peak in February, 1983. At that time, two months after mine progress was stopped due to a temporary cessation of operations, the mine inflow amounted to approximately 5.4 gpm. This rate has since decreased to a current rate of about 1.6 gpm. The probable source of mine inflows at this point in time is from the saturated portion of the Cameo seam and to a lesser extent from the east fault. Water entering the mine from the east fault most likely originates from surface water percolating through the fault from surface water and/or shallow aquifers from the upper reaches of McClane Creek. The actual water inflow into the mine amounting to about 1.6 gpm will not have a significant impact on the local hydrologic balance. The portion of the water inflow that originated from McClane Creek and is flowing into the mine along the east fault is insignificant in comparison with the flow in the ephemeral drainage during snowmelt or after major storms. The depletion caused by recharge occurring during this period will not significantly affect the quantity of water in East Salt Creek or its associated alluvium, due to the small depletion relative to high flows. During dry periods when East Salt Creek is at Lower flows, McClane Creek is dry and no depletion is occurring. The remainder (majority) of the inflow is believed to originate from storage in the Cameo seam and discharge from this coal seam is insignificant in comparison with the quantity of water stored in the general area of the Cameo seam or with the recharge capacity into this coal seam. The Cameo seam subcrops into the alluvium along East Salt Creek approximately two miles north of the McClane Canyon Mine. It is not possible that water inflow into the McClane Canyon Mine would impact the alluvium in the East Salt Creek Valley due to the low rate of inflow and distance between the mine and the Cameo seam subcrop into the East Salt Creek alluvium. The quality of water discharged from the McClane Canyon Mine is generally the same or better than water quality in East Salt Creek at the confluence with McClane Creek. Therefore, water discharged from the mine does not have any detrimental impact on the water quality on the surface streams within and downstream of the permit area. -17-