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The potential aquifers which may be affected by the Blue <br />Ribbon Mine are the alluvium of Hubbard Creek, the Rollins <br />sandstone and the lenticulaz sandstones located <br />stratigraphicallyabnve and below the mine. <br />o. Surface Water <br />The North Fork of the Gunnison River is the major drainage <br />for the Blue Ribbon Mine. Hubbazd Creek, a perennial <br />stream, runs through the mine site and is a tributary to the <br />North Fork. See the attached General Location map, Figure 1. <br />The North Fork has an average annual streamflow at <br />Somerset of approximately 313,500 acre-feet per year (1962 <br />to 1979). The flow is regulated by the Paonia Reservoir on <br />Muddy Creek five miles upstream of the town of Somerset. <br />The reservoir became operational in 1962. Water yields <br />during that period have ranged from a high of 601,800 <br />acre-feet per year in water yeaz 1984, to a low of 82,270 <br />acre-feet in water yeaz 1977. Water in the North Fork is of <br />calcium bicazbonate type. There are also moderate levels of <br />sulfate, and salinity averages less than 100 mg/1. <br />Hubbazd Creek provides both domestic and agricultural <br />supplies of water. The Blue Ribbon Mine is located <br />approximately two miles north and 500 feet above the <br />confluence of Hubbazd Creek and the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River. The watershed of Hubbard Creek is <br />mountainous, ranging in elevation from 11,327 feet at Crater <br />Peak to 5,900 feet at the confluence of Hubbazd Creek with <br />the North Fork. <br />Surface drainage on the lease tract is duectly to the North <br />Fork of the Gunnison River via southerly flowing Hubbazd <br />Creek. Inspection of the draw at the north end of the permit <br />area shows that the channel has not flowed in recent yeazs. <br />The apparent rarity of flow in the ephemeral drainage, and the <br />fact that there are no springs above the coal seam, indicate <br />that runoff and subsurface flow from the azea above the coal <br />seam do not contribute significantly to the flow of Hubbard <br />Creek. <br />There is one natural, intermittent spring that has been <br />identified. It is located at the toe of the mine portal bench neaz <br />23 <br />