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is necessary, and a subsidence control plan is not required. <br />There is a small area of privately owned surface within the permit area that is scheduled to be <br />undermined in the future. The operator has committed within the application (p. 2-24) to provide <br />written notification to surface owners at least six months prior to initiation of mining beneath their <br />properties, as required by Rule 4.20.2. A sample notification letter is provided on page 2-25 of the <br />application. <br />XI. OPERATIONS ON ALLUVIAL VALLEY FLOORS <br />Sufficient information was provided by the applicant to determine that the East Salt Creek Valley <br />within and adjacent to the permit area is an alluvial valley floor (AVF), based on the extent of <br />alluvial deposits, and potential for ircigation as demonstrated by the existence of irrigated hayland <br />in the mine vicinity. <br />The alluvial valley floor assessment is presented on pages 4-4 through 4-9 of the application, and <br />the extent of the AVF, and nature of the agricultural practices on the AVF is depicted on Figure <br />4.1-2. Approximately 1 acre of undeveloped rangeland AFV was disturbed by mine road and <br />office facilities construction. Less than 1% of the total area of alluvial valley floor within aone- <br />half mile radius of the confluence of McClane Canyon and East Salt Creek would be disturbed by <br />the operation, and there will be no disturbance to ircigated cropland. <br />The following specific findings are required. <br />A. The Division finds that activities proposed by the applicant will not interrupt, discontinue, or <br />preclude farming on the alluvial valley floors that are irrigated or naturally subirigated <br />(4.24.3(1)). The proposed activities will directly affect only undeveloped rangelands which <br />are not significant to farming. <br />B. The proposed activities will not materially damage the quantity or quality of water in the <br />surface or ground water system described above (4.24.3(3)) and 2.06.8(5)(a)(ii)). No <br />adverse effects to water quantity or quality were projected when the initial permanent <br />program permit was issued, and monitoring to date has supported this projection. In <br />association with RN-06 and TR-15, the operator prepared a mass balance evaluation to <br />assess the effects of irrigation season mine water discharge on the salinity (conductivity) of <br />East Salt Creek water downstream from the point where discharge water enters the stream. <br />The evaluation confirms that mine discharge is not causing a deleterious increase in stream <br />salinity levels. The reader is referred to the AVF section of the April 16, 1985 findings <br />document, Section B.II.E Surface Water Effects of this RN-06 Findings Document, and <br />Section 4.1.2.5 and Appendix N Tables N-3 through N-7 of the permit application package <br />for additional detailed discussion and documentation. <br />C. The proposed activities will comply with the requirements of the Act and the Regulations <br />with respect to alluvial valley floors (2.06.8(5)(a)(iii}}. <br />D. Surface coal mining and reclamation operations will be conducted to preserve the essential <br />hydrologic functions of alluvial valley floors outside the permit area and to reestablish the <br />essential hydrologic functions of alluvial valley floors within the affected area throughout <br />the mining and reclamation process (4.24.2). <br />25 <br />