GENERAL37970

• Permit No: C1981047
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 12/9/1982
• Doc Name: PROPOSED DECISION AND FINDINGS OF COMPLIANCE
• Permit Index Doc Type: FINDINGS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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Alluvial Vallcy Floors (con't)
The North Fork of the Gunnison may supply water to the North Fork AVF via sub-
irrigation. While no information is available to the Division to show that this
phenomenon actually occurs, the Division has determined that the effects of the
Blue Ribbon Mine upon flows in the North Fork of the Gunnison River would be
several orders of magnitude less than the effects upon Hubbard Creek and are,
therefore, negligible.
Ground water in the rock strata within the permit and adjacent areas is not
tributary to Hubbard Creek or the North Fork of the Gunnison River, since the
regional dip is away from Hubbard Creek and the North Fork. Ground water in
the alluvial bodies within the permit area are tributary to the flow in Hubbard
Creek. Water pumped from the water supply well located within the alluvium does
result in a small depletion of the stream flow. This depletion amounts to 0.04
of the flow of Hubbard Creek. This is a negligible reduction in Hubbard Creek
water yields.
3. Pursuant to Rule 4.24.2(1), the Division finds that the proposed surface coal
mining operations has been designed to preserve the essential hydrologic functions
of the North Fork alluvial valley floor.
The Blue Ribbon Mine is not located on the North Fork AVF. The probable effects
of the mine on the quantity and quality of water tributary to the North Fork AVF
are insignificant.
The application is in compliance with the requirements of this section.
VIZ. Water Rights and Replacement - Rules 2.04.7(3), 2.05.6(3)(a)(ii) and 4.05.15
Blue Ribbon Coal Company currently holds conditional rights to a well for industrial
and sanitary purposes at the mine; and a ditch and reservoir for augmentation pur-
poses to recharge the well.
Water is used within the mine and for sanitary purposes at the mine. An aver-
age of 16,010 gallons of water per day or 7.94 gpm is pumped from this well. The
well is completed into the alluvium of Hubbard Creek and is located below the
mine bench. Blue Ribbon Coal Company has obtained a 15 gpm conditional right
for the use of this well through Division 4 Water Court, Case No. W-3050 dated
Rugust 10, 1977. An augmentation system for the purpose of z•echarging the well
was implemented including a 2 cfs conditional ditch right and a I22 acre foot
conditional reservoir right for Pond 1. Rights to this augmentation system are
held under water rights Case No. W-3051, secured through Division 4 Water Court
on August I0, 1977. The applicant discusses these rights on page 39, Section
2.04 and has provided copies of the applications for these rights on pages J-3
and J-9,.Exhibit J of the permit application.
Adjudicated diversions of Hubbard Creek water downstream of the mine are the
Deer Trail Ditch and the Majnik Ditch. The Blue Ribbon Mine operation has
been designed to protect the rights of downstream water users (Rule 2.05.6(3)(a)(ii)).
The application is in compliance with the requirements of this section.