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mine. The increase in surface runoff from this small area is insignificant when <br />compared to the much Luger flow in the North Fork of the Gunnison River. <br />No significant changes to water quality are expected to occur as a result of <br />mining at the Bear Mine. The water quality of surface runoff from the <br />undisturbed permit area will not be affected by mining. No subsidence <br />problems are anticipated which could increase Landslide frequency in the permit <br />area, and increase the amounts of dissolved and suspended solids in adjacent <br />streams. Water quality of surface runoff from the disturbed area is controlled <br />by NPDF.S discharge limitations. Infrequent discharges from the Bear sediment <br />ponds must meet receiving stream standards and, therefore, not degrade surface <br />water resources. <br />No ground water discharge is expected to result from mining activities at the <br />Bear No. 1, 2, and 3 Mines. No significant amounts of ground water enter the <br />Bear Mine workings and no water has been discharged from the mine. <br />No impacts to the alluvial valley floor are expected to result from disturbance of <br />the alluvial deposits underlying the Bear No. 3 facilities. Disturbance of the <br />alluvial material is not expected to significantly reduce the quantity or quality of <br />the alluvial material underlying the facilities area. Dilution of waters passing <br />through the alluvial deposit will mitigate any downstream effects of mining at <br />• the Bear Mine. <br />Ground water quality and quantity in the alluvial material underlying the Bear <br />No. 3 facilities are closely related to water quality and flow of the adjacent <br />North Fork of the Gunnison River. Ground water flow in the alluvial material <br />is controlled by the water level and gradient of the North Fork of the Gunnison <br />River. Water leveLS in the alluvial material are generally 2.0 to 6.0 feet below <br />the Lrnd surface. Approximate ground water flow through the alluvium <br />underlying the facilities area may be calculated by assuming the alluvial deposit <br />depth (t) and hydraulic conductivity (k) and determining an average hydraulic <br />gradient (g) and flow path length (b). Values for these variables are substituted <br />into: <br />Q=~ <br />' Where Q is flow in CFS. If: <br />t = 20 feet; <br />k = 0.0328 feet/sec; <br />1 = 500 feet; and, <br />g = 0.016 foot/foot, <br />Q = 0.0328(20)(500)(0.016) <br />= 5.25 CFS. <br />• Comparison of the calculated flow through the alluvium (5.25 CFS) with the average <br />minimum flow recorded for the North Fork of the Gunnison River (39.09 CFS) <br />34 <br />