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water systems that supply those alluvial valley floors or <br />portions of alluvial valley floors. <br />Given the small size (13 acres) and nature of the disturbance, <br />no significant hydrological impacts are anticipated. There ie <br />minimal potential for the quality of water supplied to the <br />alluvial valley floor via the Deer Trail Ditch ,, or the Fire <br />Mountain Canal to be affected. <br />The canals are located upslope from the disturbed area. <br />Irrigation runoff and storm runoff will be diverted around the <br />disturbance and disturbed flows will be routed through a <br />sediment pond prior to discharge, The applicant has obtained <br />water rights to Deer Trail Ditch water totalling 300 acre-feet <br />per year and anticipates a maximum operational need of <br />approximately 44 acre-feet per year. Forty-four acre-feet is <br />approximately .OS} of the mean annual flow of the North Fork. <br />The applicant's discussion of probable hydrologic consequences <br />has identified no anticipated changes in surface water quality. <br />all runoff from disturbed surface areas will drain through an <br />approved sediment control system. No material damage to the <br />quality of surface waters supplied to the alluvial valley floor <br />ie anticipated, due to sediment control at the site and the fact <br />that the ditch which supplies the AVF is located upslope of the <br />disturbance. <br />There is a slight potential for water quality degradation to <br />occur in the alluvial aquifer immediately down gradient of the <br />loadout pad ae a result of percolation of degraded water through <br />the colluvium. This potential is considered insignificant for <br />the following reasons. First, the small amount of degraded <br />percolation water that would infiltrate would be rapidly diluted <br />by existing water in the system. The amount of percolation <br />water xould be minimized by the small size of the contributing <br />drainage area (less than 15 acres) and the fact that the <br />compacted surface of the pad will favor runoff over <br />infiltration. Once operations are completed, the coal stockpile <br />and sediment pond will be reclaimed and the potential for water <br />quality degradation will cease. <br />Pursuant to Rules 4.24.2 (1) and (2) , the Division finds that <br />surface coal mining and reclamation operations would be <br />conducted to p"reserve, throughout the mining and reclamation <br />process, the essential hydrologic functions of alluvial valley <br />floors not within the affected area, and would be conducted to <br />reestablish the essential hydrologic functions of the alluvial <br />valley floor within the affected area. <br />As stated previously, operations are not expected to materially <br />damage the quantity and quality of surface and ground water that <br />supply the alluvial valley floor downstream from the permit <br />area. Pond discharge sampling, as specified in Section V of <br />this document, will be implemented to document the assumptions <br />of this finding. Operations, as presented in the application, <br />will not interfere with or preclude irrigation of those portions <br />of the AVF not within the affected area. Appropriate culverts <br />and ditches have been provided £or, where necessary. <br />XVIII. O~eratione on Prime Farmland <br />A. Pursuant to Rule 2 .07 .6 (2) (k) , the Division has made a negative <br />determination for the presence of prime farmland within the proposed <br />Terror Creek Loadout Page 18 <br />