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_2g_ <br />The Loma loadout is situated within the D&RGW Railroad right-of-way. It <br />occupies an area historically used for loading sugar beets onto railroad <br />cars. The area of the loadout is approximately 5.6 acres. <br />All surface water from the loadout will be contained on-site. Due to the low <br />precipitation experienced in the area (8.8 inches annually), minimal <br />accumulations of runoff at the site are expected. <br />Due to the small area and low precipitation, little effect on the local <br />hydrologic balance is anticipated. There are also no operations in the area <br />of the loadout that would produce a cumulative effect on the hydrologic <br />balance (the facility is approximately 9 miles from any mines). <br />Surface water is monitored upstream and downstream of the disturbance of the <br />Munger Canyon drainage and along East Salt Creek above and below the <br />confluence with Munger Canyon. Monitoring locations are shown on Figure 2.3-5 <br />of Volume VII of the permit application. Alluvial ground water will be <br />monitored downgradient of the proposed waste disposal pile in Plunger Canyon <br />and in the Salt Creek alluvium upgradient and downgradient of the proposed <br />central facilities area and coal processing waste pile. Any ground water <br />inflows into the mine workings will be monitored to determine quantity, <br />quality and source of the ground water. The monitoring program will indicate <br />if any change in surface water and ground water quantity and quality occur as <br />a result of the operation. <br />Once coal production has ceased, the disturbance will be regraded, topsoiled <br />and revegetated. After successful reclamation is achieved, the hydrologic <br />functions of the area will be restored. <br />Cumulative Impacts Assessment <br />The impacts due to the McClane Canyon and Munger Canyon mines will act <br />cumulatively on the East Salt Creek hydrologic system. Impacts related to the <br />Munger Canyon Mine underground workings in Stove and Buniger Canyons will <br />potentially interact cumulatively with impacts produced by the proposed <br />Dorchester Fruita Mines in Big Salt Wash. The anticipated total effect of all <br />operations on the local hydrologic balance is minimal. <br />The total combined surface disturbance of the McClane Canyon and Munger Canyon <br />operations is slight with respect to the drainage area of East Salt Creek. <br />Only 0.12 percent of the total drainage area of East Salt Creek below the <br />confluence of Munger Canyon (72,272 acres) will be impacted by both operations <br />(87 acres). Even though the operations will locally increase concentrations <br />of total dissolved solids, the potential for the dilution of total dissolved <br />solids is obviously great, the total suspended solids will be controlled by <br />sediment ponds. Since the total area disturbance is so small, the potential <br />cumulative effect of the operations on surface water quantity is also <br />negligible. Approximately 8.4 acres in Munger Canyon, 3 acres in McClane <br />Canyon, and 73.2 acres along the East Salt Creek drainage will be contained <br />